Wolves, Knights, and Parasites
by Yopu is Crying
Summary: "You're a human leech, a parasite, clinging to him like that because of the kind of person he is. Heiwajima Shizuo, that pure, white knight you've always tried to deny needing in your life. And now you're killing him because of the kind of person you are. You're horrible," he smirked from his lofty position above her. She raised her hand to her head and pulled it back. 'I know.'
1. B-L-A-Z-E

It was the first day of his final year at Raira and it felt like any other day. Translation, and don't be shy to take your pick, there are plenty of words to choose from: _Boring_ , _dull_ , _mundane_ , _vapid_ , _repetitive_ , _etc. etc_. To be truthful this wasn't an unusual kind of day for a guy like Orihara Izaya. Even though his _beloved_ humans were constantly an ever changing whirlpool of emotions and odd ended quirks, and this plethora of a city known as Ikebukuro was his gold mine for such entertainment, it was all beginning turn into stagnant water. And if there's one thing Izaya _can't stand_ , it's stagnant water. Something _always_ had to be in motion for Izaya to be happy.

Of course with this being the first day back at a place known for bringing to life raging hormones and a never ending supply of drama, everything seemed to be in motion. He could have safely let slip just _one_ drop of his own influence into that stagnant pool and watch the ripples of that from afar. Or he could have forgone the drop and send in a pebble instead, but he prefered building up ripples to waves before watching the tsunamis destroy everything. And yet even with this dilemma there was another in which he couldn't quite figure out just _where_ to start.

There was always just the innocent bystander in the crowd he could pick on. Easy prey. A warm up for bigger fish. The appetizer.

Izaya ran his tongue over his teeth with a hazardous smirk crawling along his wolfish features.

Or better yet he could start by antagonizing that _monster_.

Decisions, decisions, every last one of them a morsel of sweetly tainted forbidden fruit.

However before he could make his selection the teacher walked in. Izaya studied the man with a lazy but critical eye, leaning back in his seat. A childish rhyme came to mind and yet it seemed to fit his first hour sensei fairly well enough in terms of appearance. He's a little teapot short and stout, there was his handle and there was his spout. Tip him over and some useless bullshit would probably come out. He deemed this man as someone that possessed a weak will and would therefore be an easy target to wrap around his little finger.

Izaya resisted the urge to cackle, settling for a subtle snicker and the internal plotting of a funeral speech.

 _We are gathered here today to commemorate the memory of our dearly beloved Teapot-sensei, who was too asinine for his own good and had a terrible sense of fashion…_

Teapot-sensei began taking roll. He split his attention between the now greatly amusing speech he was having too much fun drafting and the names coming out of his balding sensei's large mouth. Every year he listened for new names, new possible dolls to play with. Every year he got exactly what he wanted and was hardly ever disappointed in fun, the usual disturbance being that it didn't last as long as he had hoped it would.

He ticked off the names, all two of them, on his right hand with slight disappointment at the lack of newbies.

"Okada, Blaise." Teapot-sensei had been looking squarely at his paper up until this point. Beady brown eyes flickered up and surveyed the crowd of students only to be greeted with silence. Izaya leaned and inch forward in his seat and joined in the sightseeing.

"Okada, Blaise?" His belovedly ridiculous sensei called again before marking the person absent. He leaned back in his seat with an unintelligible _hmmph._ It was certainly a bold move for someone who's first name was French for 'one who stammers' to be late on their first day of school. Izaya made a mental note to keep an ear out for anyone named Blaise showing up to school late.

He was pulled away from his musings by Teapot-sensei once again. "Orihara, Izaya."

The young man raised his hand in the air and wiggled his fingers. With a cheeky smile he called out, "Hai hai!"

Teapot-sensei gave him a dubious once over before shaking his head and returning to his attendance roll.

And so his first day of his last year at Raira officially began. Little did he know that it would be a little over a month before he'd officially become acquainted with the student named Blaise.

 **{/ = /}**

It was the first day of his last year at Raira and Heiwajima Shizuo had had enough of it. He was mentally shot and drained so much to the point where he had almost gone through an entire pack of cigarettes just to help maintain his composure. It was like the universe was conspiring against him by forcing him to spend his day surrounded by idiots.

Idiots that wouldn't shut up, idiots that wanted to pick fights with him, a particular idiot named Shinra that wanted a sample of his blood… The list could probably go on and on but just thinking about it was causing a migraine to begin pulsing between his eyes. Shizuo took another drag of his smoke before reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose, the extra nicotine in his system working overtime to soothe his nerves.

Aside from idiots he was also struggling academically, and it was only _the beginning of the fucking year_. Perhaps it was his innate ability to focus on anything _but_ the lesson, or maybe it was because he couldn't take sitting still for so damn long. The possibilities were _endless._ Either way he now had too much homework for just the first day and he barely had an inkling of a clue as to how to do any of it. Thinking about it pissed him off and only increased the radius of the pain, now spreading to sit behind his eyes.

Shizuo took a final drag from his cigarette and chucked it, stepping on it and giving his foot a twist for good measure to make sure it was out. He didn't want to risk starting a fire. People already accused him of being a monster enough as it was, no need to add to the reputation he didn't even want. After putting out the cigarette he stepped off the curb.

The whine of an engine shattered the silence and he looked to his left just in time to see a motorcycle bear down on him. His automatic reflexes clashed with each other. On one hand if he would have just stepped back then he'd easily avoid getting hit. On the other hand based on the speed of the biker he automatically assumed it was another attack, and was prepared to knock the person sky high. The forge in the back of his mind was stoked once again to such a scalding degree and he was absolutely sick of it. Within seconds the biker was in striking distance when they swerved madly around him with a wild screech.

He turned to watch the person pass him by, an odd streak of scarlet being the only visible thing on the speed demon. The rear lights lit up and the bike came to a shaky halt. The biker hops of and runs up to him. What he expected was some stupid gang member coming back for a fight, not a panicking young woman firing questions at him probably faster than his mother could.

"Whoa dude are you alright? I didn't clip you or anything did I? You're not gonna sue me for this are ya?! Oh man please don't sue me for this. I can't afford to pay for that kind of shit!" The girl waved her hands around frantically, almost as if trying to pat him down from a distance to check that she really hadn't done any damage. The fire in the back of Shizuo's mind died down to a dull, irritated murmur. He stared at her while reaching up to rub the back of his head.

"You didn't hit me, but you shouldn't have been speeding in this zone anyways," He attempted to keep his tone neutral, but his tenseness still managed to find a way to slip into the conversation. The girl ducked her head, which sported no helmet to hide away her auburn hair being crimped by a pair of goggles still protecting her eyes. Her left hand rubbed against her chest in a counterclockwise motion as she apologized to him. He scrutinized her, trying to place her face to a gang simply because of the style of her clothes; a long black coat with a thin loose shirt and shorts.

"Sorry, sorry! I was just trying to make an epic escape from some bozos trying to cling to an old argument we had and _man,_ let me tell you, those guys are some persistent fuckers. Do you know what it's like to have people hounding you all day and night for something completely insignificant or relevant to the times? I mean, it's like some annoying flea that keeps hopping back on the dog after it's been scratched off."

He had been distracted as soon as she started moving her hands around, finding it slightly mesmerizing how she used her hands to talk nearly just as much as she used her mouth. But the moment she had mentioned the word _flea_ then his hard glare was bearing down on her and most likely burning holes. And surprisingly, she took absolutely no notice of it.

The revving of a few more engines caught their attention and they both turned to look behind him. There wasn't anyone else in sight yet, but he could see the chick that had nearly run him over edging back towards her bike. He turned away from the empty street to see her turning around and full on sprinting away from him.

 _No, not me_ , he amended, _the bozos chasing her_. _She's just getting a head start, that's all._

She swung her leg over the bike and flipped the kickstand up. Though it probably wouldn't matter in the long haul it dawned on him that he should probably get her name before she leaves. The girl _did_ almost run him over after all.

"Oi!" he yells over the engine purring to life. The girl looks back at him. "What's your name?"

She grinned a full on chesire grin. "Name's Blaise, but you better spell it B-L-A-Z-E when you write about me in your journal tonight hot cakes, or I'll come hunt you down and whack you upside the head. Hate to almost hit and run, but I gotta keep some people on their toes!"

The girl named Blaise, spelled Blaze, turned in her seat and punched the gas. As she sped off, people sped in. Shizuo turned to face the new group with a scowl.

"Now what kind of guy would I be if I let these scum keep chasing after her," he said contemplatively to himself as he observed the menacing bikers coming his way. "For all I know they could be going to beat her up. What kind of a man beats up a woman?"

Though he didn't really mean to, Shizuo worked himself up into a frenzy. He abhorred the special kind of trash which roamed the earth that would hit a woman. He may not have known what exactly it is that girl did, but that certainly wasn't gonna stop him from preventing a physical confrontation from reaching her.

Shizuo cracked his knuckles and rammed into the first biker head on.

 **{\ = \\}**

 _Exactly 1 month later:_

A girl walked into class with a skirt longer than practically every single girls' in the school and a bandaid over a bruised nose. She beamed at the chattering crowd that paid absolutely no attention to her and strode towards the front of the class to announce her presence. She stopped in front of the portly teacher's desk and rapped her knuckles on the hard surface to gain his attention. Said teacher whipped his head up so fast that if he was actually trying, he might have broken it. Though the noise wasn't enough to catch most of the class's attention, it didn't fail to catch a certain flea's.

Izaya gave the girl a once over and concluded that he had never seen her before. Instead of focusing on her outfit he focused on the way she carried herself, the attitude she emanated. Her shoulders were set straight, yet were completely and utterly at ease. The stance indicated an open personality; chin held high in strong cockiness, hands on her hips like she meant business, and a posture that denied weakness. If he had to guess then he'd also say that she must have a chipper personality. She was so confident that it almost made him feel ill just being in the same room as her. And that's exactly what kept him interested.

"Can I help you?" Teapot-sensei wrinkled his nose as he looked her up and down, not liking that she wasn't dressed exactly like all the other girls. Only a certain percentage of females actually wore the uniform's skirt down to their ankles. Those people were often best avoided by the general, _normal_ population as a whole.

He couldn't see her expression, but her voice said she was smiling. "Sure ya can. Name's Okada Blaise, but I spell it B-L-A-Z-E so remember that okay, Teach?"

His eyebrows raised a fraction up his head and Izaya leaned forward eagerly. Like a hawk Izaya tracked her left hand as she made odd gestures with it. He liked where this human was going. Not only was her type sickening, but she was bold and upfront, all the while proudly displaying her skills in the first meeting.

 _She knows ASL huh? She must actually be part American, not French. And with that get up it's all too clear just what she is. A Yankee attending Raira? How fun._

A smirk that had been playing on his lips morphed into a charming smile and he laced his hands behind his head.

"You're late, Blaze-chan! School started a month ago you know."

The girls around him tittered at his teasing and his smile turned smug. Blaze turned around and leaned against Teapot-sensei's desk, much to the teacher's dismay. Her head cocked to the left, a copper auburn cascade slipping over her shoulder, and she pinned him down with an all too unapologetic smile. Cyan eyes dipped in a layer of frost roamed over his face with casual humor.

"Really? Guess I should have set my alarm for a different time then."

He laughed, the sound escaping him more as a dry bark than something sincere. For a second longer they locked eyes. In that second he thought about an old saying, how eyes were seemingly the windows to the soul. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself on the inside at how vague and narrow minded that saying was. After all, not all glass was easy to see through. Some kinds were warped and the only thing visible would be muted shadows.

Blaze pushed off the desk, stalking between the rows of students to settle herself in the empty seat in front of him. She flicked some hair over her shoulder and rested one elbow casually on his desk.

"Name?"

"Orihara Izaya."

"Well, _Orihara Izaya_ , I hope you don't think too poorly of my tardiness. You'll be willing to forgive me, won't you?"

He loved it. He hadn't done anything to her yet and here she was lacing each word with simpering sarcasm. Izaya could see it in her eyes, his reflection, a looming shadow. It made him want to clean those symbolic windows so he could see the contents on the other side clearly, and then smash them to hear the joyous tinkling of glass raining to the ground. It was very clear to him that he had found another project.

Izaya ran his his tongue over his teeth, imagining himself as a wolf hungrily standing above his prey while still dressed as the sheep. With a scoff he raised his hand and waved her words away like they were excess smoke from a cigarette. "What kind of person would I be for not giving the new girl a chance? Of course you're forgiven."

"Golly, what a relief! And here I was thinking I'd have to dog your steps and hound you for redemption. You just saved both of us the hassle."

Her sarcasm persisted but the creeping threat disappeared. His shadow still remained prominent in her now relaxed eyes, suggesting that she was still wary of him to an extent. Izaya didn't mind in the least.

It was what would make his new game fun after all.

 **{/ = /}**

"Dammit, where'd it go?" he muttered as he patted himself down, the butt of the unlit cigarette becoming increasingly torn as he chewed it in agitation. He just wanted a smoke, that's all he came out here to do. Why couldn't the universe just see fit to let him have a peaceful smoke without finding a way to screw it up for him? At some point he had lost his damn lighter and it was only now, when he was up on the school roof after miraculously getting away from patronizing morons and their incessant need to be _loud_ , that Shizuo realized he was screwed.

There was a click and suddenly his focus honed in on a silver lighter with a small but healthy looking flame flaring out of it. A thin hand grasped the lighter and he followed it up the arm, leading him to the grinning face of a girl. Her red hair stuck out like a beacon, and in the back of his mind something nagged at him that it was a cause for familiarity. For a long moment he studied her before turning away to accept the offering of fire. As soon as his stick was lit he breathed in deeply before sighing with smoke blowing out of his mouth in relief.

"Well heck buddy, not even a thank you or a hello nice to see you again?"

Shizuo frowned, "Sorry. Thanks."

He glanced at the girl again, confused. What did she mean by ' _hello, nice to see you again'_? Did they know each other and he had somehow just forgotten? He'll admit that he's not very good at putting names and faces together, but he's fairly certain he's never crossed paths with this… _Yankee_. Still, the moment she had started speaking then the nagging in the back of his mind had only grown stronger.

The girl sighed dramatically and leaned against the chain link fence. "Geez hot cakes, I'd have thought that you'd have remembered the person that nearly ran you over. Granted that _was_ over a month ago and everything just went by so fast. And here I was thinking we were fated to be, cause you know, that's how all the cliched manga go. But alas, you don't even remember me."

Shizuo thought back on her words, temporarily disregarding the fact that she was being exceedingly dramatic over what was beginning to look like spilled milk. The further back he went the more muddled it became, as every day seemed basically the same to him. It was until he thought about seeing a streak of red that he remembered. With it he also registered that this was the second time she's called him by that blunt nickname, and the back of his neck grew warm.

"Oh, you're that chick that was speeding in a residential area," He stared down at her. Well, more like he inclined his head ever so slightly. She was fairly tall, and even after checking to make sure she wasn't wearing heels, she stood a little above his shoulders. "Uh, what did you say your name was again? Haze or something like that?"

She practically wilted against the fence. " _That's_ what you remember about me? What are you, the underhand vigilante of Ikebukuro?" But just as quick as she was to be dramatic about it she resurfaced more positive than ever. "Oh well, it was a near hit and run scenario, can't expect you to remember everything. The name's Blaise, but you better spell it B-L-A-Z-E or it's off with your head!"

He turned his head at her increased volume, wincing with growing irritation. He searched for a quick exit by pursuing the next topic, which was probably not the best choice. "Well how the hell was it spelled before and why does the change matter?"

Blaze shrunk, folding her arms over her chest and jutting her lower lip out to sulk. With the ugly bruising on her nose it made her look sickly. "The original spelling was B-L-A-I-S-E and it was French for something completely sissy. My mom's attempt at naming in hopes that I wouldn't be a loud child."

"Well that clearly backfired," he muttered, turning so he could lean against the fence as well. Blaze snickered.

"And what about you hot cakes? I never even _got_ your name. I mean, I'll be more than happy to keep calling you by the current nickname if you'd like, but an actual name would be cool too ya know."

The back of his neck grew warmer.

"The name's Shizuo. Heiwajima Shizuo. And I won't be offended if you drop the nickname."

 _In fact, it's highly preferred that you do._

"Hint noted, but not going to be counted in the long haul," His shoulders sagged. "But now that we're properly acquainted it's a pleasure to meet you, Heiwajima Shizuo."

She proffered her left hand and he stared at it, little cuts and bruises winding all over the place on a calloused palm. He studied the mark of old fights, long and short scars flashing across her skin like their own kind of knives. No doubt about it, she was a true Yankee.

Hesitantly he took her hand, barely putting any pressure into his grip as he performed a quick shake. However, Blaze held his hand firmly and shook for longer and more enthusiastically than he would have liked. A shadow of foreboding hung over his mind like a dark cloud and he got the distinct feeling that he just unwittingly signed a pact with the devil.

"Well dudely dude, I'll leave you to finish your smoke in peace, but don't think you'll be rid of me forever. We'll be seeing each other plenty now that I'm here to stay."

Her hand slipped out of his grasp and she skipped away towards the door. She flung it open with ease and waltzed inside. Before she fully disappeared, Blaze turned around and gave him a cheeky grin.

"Bye new best friend!"

Shizuo blinked. "Wait, what do you mean _new best friend_?!"

But she had already ran down the stairs in a fit of hysterical laughter. He slumped against the fence, causing it to rattle.

Screw pacts with the devil, he just signed his soul off to a mental case.

 **{\ = \\}**

* * *

 _This is actually my first time writing something for Drrr! so this might come off as a little rusty sounding and I apologize for that. I would just like to thank Sungirl92 and amourdesoi, though neither of you know me, for spurring inspiration to action within me to write this story. Your stories, Break You and Crybaby respectively, are surprisingly really motivating._

 _Anyways, this is where I'll sign off for now. If you have any questions or comments feel free to review or PM me. Best regards,_

 _-Yopū Yuna_


	2. Best Friend(s)

"Found you!"

Blaze popped around the corner of the mini structure which sat on top of the school's roof. Sitting down on the ground, smoking yet again, was her recently acquired target. She smiled gleefully at Shizuo, who in return scowled at her.

"Go away."

"Aw, you're no fun. I just wanted to hang out with my best buddy and here he is telling me to go away," she sighed dramatically and walked around him. Her back slammed into the wall and she slid with little to no grace the rest of the way down. "Well I've got news for you: If you were _really_ intent on avoiding me then you'd choose a different place to smoke."

"I come up here because it's the best place to be _left alone_ ," he muttered. She watched as he inhaled deeply and let out a plume of smoke in defeat. An easy going half grin sprawled along her face and she relaxed further until she was comfortably sitting against the wall.

"Too bad for you, we're best buddies who can't _bear_ to be separated from each other!"

"Tch. I never agreed to being your buddy."

" _Best_ buddy."

" _My point still remains!_ "

Blaze held her hands up in surrender with an indifferent shrug. She always knew that she had a disastrous knack for pissing people off, could probably even make a living off of it if it were an actual profession that paid, but this had to be record breaking time. And that's saying alot considering she had a firecracker for a friend that wasn't Shizuo.

 _Tsuyoi won't be happy about that,_ she chuckled inwardly.

Absently her hand slid into a shallow pocket in her skirt and wrapped around the small, rectangular metal block. She rubbed the smooth surface with her thumb, flipping it over and over until it was slowly worked out of the pocket. Blaze rested both arms on her knees, sitting in a way that would usually result in being called _uncouth_ for a young woman such as herself, and flicked the lid off the lighter. With a click a tender flame burst to life.

Immediately Blaze's vision zoned in on the dancing hues, entranced. There was something so peaceful about staring at something so dangerous. If she didn't know the innocent looking light would burn her, she probably would have stroked it like it were a long lost relative. In so many ways she felt that she understood why a moth was attracted to such a simple, yet hazardous object. Fire was warm, bright, and mesmerizing. And Blaze absolutely loved it. But unfortunately for her, society had seen fit to deem her attraction to fire _unhealthy_ and therefore something to be frowned upon.

"You run out of cigs?" She forcefully pried her eyes away from the flickering delight to see Shizuo digging his pack out of his back pocket, crunching the box slightly to pop one out for her. Touch by his sentimentality she beamed at him. Immediately after, though, she waved him off and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from her other pocket and held it just within reach of the flame.

 _Bye bye dead threat from lame ass lackies~! You wouldn't have been able to follow through with any of it anyways._

"I tried smoking once, just to see what the hell was so appealing about it to my dad that he had to become addicted to it and everything else in its subcategories," she said thoughtfully. "Nearly gagged to death and decided it wasn't worth it after that."

She soaked in the way the paper turned black and curled in on itself as the fire licked at it greedily. A trail of smoke hazily rose above it and intermingled with Shizuo's. Her smile spread further along her face and she felt a little dopey for getting so excited at the sight of something burning.

"Then why do you bother carrying a lighter around if you aren't gonna smoke?"

Blaze turned to him and deadpanned. "Friend, buddy, pal, comrade- look at what's in my hand and ask yourself that question one more time."

His eyes widened, giving her a decent view of the warm brown that, up until now, had always been relatively obscured by his blonde bangs.

"You're a god damn pyro," The words slipped out of him in mute horror. The regret for even asking the question flashed in his eyes and his shoulders grew rigid as he glanced between her and the burning wad, which was nearing her unguarded flesh. Blaze cackled and dropped it, crushing it beneath her foot to put it out. His response was amusing to say the least, definitely not unusual for her though.

"Not exactly, Sherlock. You see, I'm more like a recovering addict of pyromania. Used to have terrible, and I mean _terrible_ , impulse control and would set shit on fire like there'd be no tomorrow. In fact, I think at one point I tried to make that the goal- But anyways, then Tsuyoi came along and beat the shit out of me any time my hand would so much as twitch in the general direction of my lighter. Don't worry though. Now I only set fire to paper, sticks, my cheating ex…"

It was quiet enough that she swore she could almost hear a cricket somewhere.

"That was a joke, hot cakes. You were supposed to _laugh_ ," she prompted. Still no reaction. Either she had just scared the one guy rumored to be the most strongest in Ikebukuro or else he was trying to think up a way to disentangle himself from a snare that had already started dragging him towards the pits of hell and insanity. Based off the look in his eyes, Blaze would place her money on both being the correct answer.

Blaze closed the lighter and held it up to her mouth like an audio recorder, scrunching her face up in mock annoyance like a detective. "Note to self: Don't let Fred be in charge of the jokes."

"Who the hell is Fred?"

 _Methinks someone isn't very good at learning from previous mistakes, otherwise he'd stop asking questions he's going to regret._ She couldn't help herself as she snickered. His scowl was strong enough to burn holes into anything, just like Superman's laser eyes. On a backhanded wave she partially wished that he could actually do something like that; albeit those holes would be burning into _her._

"One of the voices in my head," Every few words wheezed out of her between hoarse laughter. Her answer drew out yet another round of astounding silence from her _best friend_.

Wiping away the upcoming tears she reached out and lightly punched Shizuo's shoulder, missing the way he tensed as if in preparation for a fight. "That was another joke man! Geez, do you just not possess a sense of humor? For _shame_. Looks like I've got some work to do with you."

"You're a fucking pyro!" he muttered blatantly. Shizuo took a deep drag from his cigarette before turning away from her and pretending she didn't exist. "And a mental case too!"

Blaze chuckled, leaning her head back to stare at the clear sky.

"Ya know, in times like these you've just gotta remember the wise words of the Chesire Cat: ' _We're all mad here.'_ ," She raised her hands and wrote the saying in mid air, looping her letters in a neat and calligraphic way. "And then, knowing that, just move on like life is supposedly normal!"

He scoffed and stood up, flicking his cigarette to the ground and crushing it under foot. Shizuo shoved his hands deep into his pockets and stalked off. Blaze scrambled up and managed to keep up with his suddenly irritated pace.

"Go away, you're annoying."

"Aw, love you too hot cakes!"

 **{+ = +}**

Izaya couldn't understand it.

Then again he couldn't understand a lot of things about Blaze, although it certainly didn't stop him from pretending he did.

 _Why on earth would she, or anyone for that matter, want to be friends with a monster?_ , he mused with intermingling curiosity and annoyance. Izaya stared across the main foyer with a mask of calmness dominating his face. There was the Yankee, talking loudly and animatedly with the Monster of Ikebukuro like they were old pals. On the other end of the conversation, however, his poor _Shizu-chan_ was struggling to contain his short fuse. For a brief moment Izaya wondered what Blaze's reaction would be when she would become the collateral damage of Shizuo's rage. Oddly enough he couldn't place a believable expression on her face.

A slow grin pulled at the corners of his mouth and he bared his fangs with narrowed eyes glinting harshly. He _could_ just waltz right on over and say hello right now to get his answer.

He put one foot forward and bounced the rest of the way, removing a hand from his pocket to bring it up in a small wave. With painstaking care he rearranged his features into a mask of pure innocence. In a voice of falsetto he called out to her, causing both monster and pawn to snap their heads in his direction. "Blaze-chan~! I found you~!"

Instantly Shizuo's face went into it's own carefully sculpted mask. Izaya liked to call it the Psycho Mask. Though there was a leering smile in place, the wide eyes with their shrunken pupils and bowed brows told a different story; a killer's intent. For a brief second he lowered his own mask to flash the wolf underneath at his monster.

"Oh, you're here too, _Shizu-chan_ ," He relished the way Shizuo stiffened, knowing that he knew that Izaya's tone implied Shizuo was a crumb he had picked off his jacket and flicked away. All the while Blaze just studied them from the side with indifferent curiosity.

"'Sup, Izaya. Did you need something?" She asked him coolly, subconsciously shifting closer to Shizuo. He didn't let his grin rise any further, instead flipping the mask to worry and concern.

"I see that you're trying to make friends with Shizu-chan," he stepped closer to her. "You really should watch out for him, he's a scary brute with an uncontrollable temper! If Blaze-chan isn't careful she could get hurt!"

His shadow darkened in her eyes, which narrowed and gained another layer of frost to them. She opened her mouth to say something only to be interrupted by the monster himself.

"Oh yeah?" Shizuo chuckled darkly, the glint in his eyes growing stronger as he took an aggressive step forward. "Then the same goes for you _flea bastard!_ _**I'll show you scary, I-zay-aaa!**_ "

Izaya had to resist the urge to _giggle_ as he danced out of the way to avoid Shizuo's punch. He twirled around Blaze as Shizuo turned and lunged forward again.

"See Blaze-chan? He's a monster that can't be reasoned with."

The girl merely remained rooted to the spot, tracking the two of them with warped eyes, arms crossed tightly over her chest. He frowned, wondering why she wasn't showing any kind of concern for the situation, fear, screaming in terror, _anything_. Sure he knew that being a Yankee meant she'd seen some pretty horrific scenes, but compared to this?

Izaya could safely and soundly conclude Blaze had to be at least partially insane.

He ran away then, closer to a large and heavy object that could be thrown. Shizuo took the bait and followed after him. If he couldn't get a reaction out of her from something like a little physical violence and rage, then he'd go for a grand display of _inhuman strength._

Shizuo roared and leaped through the air, bringing his fist down in a very recently vacated spot. Izaya pranced back and watched as the monster gave one look at the vending machine and tore it away from the wall, lifting it high above his head and wheeling around smoothly on the balls of his feet. He made absolutely certain to be lined up with Blaze when the metal container went flying.

"Do you see it yet, Blaze-chan?" he called while ducking, forgetting himself just a little as the thrill of adrenaline pumped through his veins. The vending machine broke through the opposing far wall, sending up a plume of dust and crumbles of the wall. He pivoted on his heel and whipped out the switchblade as Shizuo charged him yet again. He spared just a brief glance in order to see the look of utter shock on her face.

What happened next was something he had failed to even think of as a possible outcome.

"That's enough!" Blaze grunted as she strode forward, her pace causing her to meet up with him at the exact same time as Shizuo. Both of her fists connected with a head- her right hitting the base of his neck, while her left cuffed Shizuo up the side and knocked him off balance. He gripped his neck and looked up at her through watering eyes.

" _What the hell was that for?! Dammit, don't get in my way!"_ The blonde across from him hissed in a way that made it impossible to tell if the hit had actually hurt him or if he was still thoroughly annoyed.

Blaze stalked forward and grabbed Shizuo by the ear, dragging him off towards the stairs.

"Well for starters, that was a _wake up call_ ," she replied crossly. "NCIS, Gibbs Law number 27 or other states that a slap to the face is an insult, but a slap to the back of the head is a wake up call. You, _bestie,_ really needed that."

He recoiled slightly as her head whips around to pin him with a poisonous glare.

" _And you_. I shouldn't have intervened because you _clearly_ provoked him, and street laws about fights say that you had it comin' to ya, but obviously you were trying to manipulate my perception. And _buddy_ , I don't take well to being treated like the rest of the student population. Don't think I'm that stupid, Orihara."

Izaya blinked before running his tongue over his teeth, which felt longer than the last time. His eyes narrowed and he smirked playfully at her. She frowned and turned away, leading Shizuo up the steps at a rather forceful pace.

"Oh I didn't think you were stupid Blaze-chan," he said softly. "I was just solving your puzzle by finding my corners first."

 **{/ = /}**

"So you're telling _me,_ " Blaze watched her partner in crime gesture dramatically around her with amusement. "that you hit Heiwajima Shizuo upside the head, but didn't get punched through the roof for it?."

"Oh he was very pissed off with me so even I thought he would, but the guy is surprisingly chivalrous. Says he won't hit women 'cause it's not right. Though I did get an earful for stopping him from killing Orihara."

Tsuyoi shook her head.

"And then there's the deal with that information broker in your class. If you hadn't caught his attention before, you sure as hell have it now. Bitch, you are playing with _fire._ "

"Tsuyoi," She shook her head and reached for a bottle of soy sauce, pouring it generously over her soba.

"What? You know the difference between a figure of speech and reality, you bloody pyro."

They grinned each other, frosty cyan meeting with inkwell black. Tsuyoi snatched some sushi from a plate and popped it into her mouth, brushing her dark hair out of the way only to have bangs fall back over a scarred eye.

"Anyways," the other girl continued talking with a full mouth. "Be careful. Metaphorical or not, fire is still dangerous. With your impulse control you'll probably end up burning all of Ikebukuro to the ground."

"Geez _mom_ , if you're so worried about me then why don't you come to school with me?"

Tsuyoi snorted, nearly inhaling her sushi in the process. While she coughed and hit her chest she glared at Blaze.

"The day I set foot over Raira's threshold is the day you need to shoot me," she deadpanned. "I haven't kept up this avoidance streak for nothing you know."

Blaze waved her off with a grin, snarfing her food down with great gusto. Tsuyoi screwed her face up and pushed a couple napkins forward and poured a glass of water. Slurping her noodles noisily, most definitely on purpose all just for her beloved friend, she reached out with a free hand to grab it.

For a mere moment her perception slowed down and the glass split into two separate containers, spinning hazily back and forth. Blaze hesitated before reaching for the one she hoped was solid only for her hand to pass through empty air. Her hand landed with a dull thud on the wooden table and twitched with uncontrollable tremors. Inhaling sharply she retracted her hand, grabbing the real cup as she went went past it. The ice clinked gently against the glass because of her shaking.

Closing her eyes she tipped her head back and downed the cold beverage in hopes to drown it out. When she opened them again she was faced with Tsuyoi's stony grimace.

Blaze averted her gaze and stared firmly at her near empty bowl. Both of her hands clenched tightly; the left into a fist and the right around the cup. Though she was grateful her friend liked her enough to be concerned about her, she hated showing a growing weakness.

"What did Issa-nii tell you?" Her friend's voice was quiet, controlled. Blaze clenched her teeth tightly together and began to slowly grind her jaw from right to left. The memories of her visit to the underground physician and long standing friend, who doubled as a guardian in times of need, left a cloying taste in her mouth. It reminded her of the first time she had smoked. The nicotine and smoke piling at the back of her throat and coating her tongue. The way she had gagged until bile had surfaced. Nothing about it had been pleasant.

"He said that all he can do right now is give me some pills and hope that it goes away within the next couple of weeks. Being as it is he's under surveillance for his dealings with the different gangs, so he's walking on fraying tight ropes at the moment."

Tsuyoi slumped back in her seat, rubbing her face tiredly with both hands. They both understood the fine line everyone that was against society walked. One misstep and they would all fall down. Whether it was because someone pushed them off the edge, or they did it to themselves. In the end there was only one place it seemed that all misfits met. And that was a dead end.

She blinked, snapping her head up and plastering a cocky grin on her stiff face. "I'm sure it's nothing. It's probably just my system trying to outgrow something or other. Don't worry about it."

The firecracker opened her mouth wide to let loose a snide remark, her eyes flashing with unguarded fears. But just as quick as her temper was to flare, it died out. Tsuyoi snapped her mouth shut and settled for glaring instead. Blaze leaned forward and rested her chin in her hands, staring smugly at her handiwork. An idea popped into her head and she went with it in order to move away from morbid discussions.

"Oh yeah by the way, Shizuo beat your record for how fast I can piss someone off," She stuck her tongue out and waved a finger lazily through the air.

Tsuyoi sat upright and crossed her arms tightly underneath her bust. The glare increased in potency and a slight shiver ran down Blaze's spine. Her grin became slightly more pointed and she inclined her head a little in order to spur the other girl's rage on a bit further, grin becoming a bit more pointed and eyes more narrowed.

She took the bait.

" _Bullshit."_

 **{+ = +}**

* * *

 _And thus problems arise... *as the author tries to be ominous the reader suddenly has a squirrel moment* *cough*_

 _So originally Tsuyoi had not been a part of the half-baked plan I had for this story. On account of a partial request from the first guest reviewer (thank you by the way) I took it into consideration and decided that I could make it work._

 _ **QOTD** : Does anyone ever listen to a song while they're working on a fic (or just reading one) and think that it'd be a perfect anime opening if the story were to be animated? I've been stuck on a song called "Dreamer" by One OK Rock and I've decided that it's officially the anime opening to my fic, weird as it may sound. It's actually fairly good and if you guys have the time then you should check it out._

 _Anyways, I'll stop wasting your time with an A/N that probably no one's gonna read anyways. Best regards,_

 _-Yopū Yuna_


	3. The Happenings on a Day Off

_**Warning:**_ _This chapter contains minor time skips, a cunning wolf, fluff, and smol children. You may try all you like to escape the adorableness, but resistance is futile._

* * *

Izaya stared patiently in wait at the man fidgeting across from him. The glare he was receiving in return greatly bemused him. All he had done was ask one little question about someone and he had kindled rage in those sunken grey eyes, wisps of smoky hair falling over them like a cloud. How _fascinating._

"Blaze? What the hell are you asking about her for?"

He didn't flinch when he was suddenly met with a stoney glare from his most recent client. Instead he chose to soak it in and read the man-child like an open book.

Kaneko Daiki.

The leader of the Green Hats and a permanent fifteen year old boy despite actually being twenty years in age. When he was younger he had obviously gotten his hands on someone's secret stash of drugs and stunted his own growth. It made him a loose cannon ball when it came to his emotions and as such he had little to no self control when it came to the force of his action. Even now Izaya couldn't help but shiver slightly at the intensity of the man's stare. It was almost blindingly obvious to him that the elephant in the room was jealousy for his interest in the Yankee, making Daiki defensive.

But even for all the tense atmosphere and thick walls he tried to erect, it couldn't hide the fact that he was in love with the young woman named Okada Blaze.

 _Well,_ Izaya thought with an internal smirk, _perhaps_ **love** _is too strong of a word._

"I'm just curious about my classmate, that's all." He said this innocently enough, all the while ignoring the elephant and extra guests in the room, raising his hands in a placating manner. "I would ask her myself, but I'm afraid that I might have offended her the other day with a stunt I pulled."

Daiki leaned back into his worn leather couch, the few right hand henchmen that had been slowly inching their way out of the shadows withdrawing immediately. He rubbed his blocky face, a grin forming the longer he let Izaya's words set in, and his hardened countenance disappeared. A throaty chuckle echoed around the room.

"Yeah, that sounds about right. My girl will hold a grudge for a while, but gets over it pretty quickly depending on how serious the offense."

It didn't fail to escape his notice the tone of voice Daiki used, or the words he chose. Everything was dripping with adoration and it almost made him want to throw up. If he himself didn't know any better then he'd have guessed that Daiki and Blaze were actually childhood friends, knowing each other forever and simply falling in love because of it. But in reality Blaze wasn't even an official member of the Green Hats, nor any gang for that matter. She had only started hanging out with this group a little less than a year ago because of one of her friends. The two of them weren't even an item to be speaking of.

Of course, he wasn't going to be telling anyone _here_ that he knew any of that. It would defeat the purpose of his little scavenger hunt after all.

"Sounds like the two of you are close," he remarked. Daiki's chest swelled in pride and he nodded his head vigorously. The action was a little too quick in Izaya's eyes, though, and he spotted his next chink in the armor.

Even if he hadn't done his research, he knew the Yankee wasn't seeing anyone. She may be beautiful and smart enough to get by in life, but her bold and upfront personality repulsed a fair amount of the boys that attended Raira. Add in the mixture of the kind of company she kept, including recent additions, then that made certain the rest of the normal population of men steered clear of her. No one wanted to have a serious relationship with a trouble magnet.

No one unless they were the lowest of the low, bottom feeders, other messed up street dwellers like her. Looking at Daiki now made him finally remember the correct words to describe the man's feelings. He was…

 _Infatuated._

 _Obsessed._

All in an easily morphed mask that people could use to pass off as true love.

Daiki scratched his chin while he spoke. "There's a lot I could tell you about Blaze. She's a badass bitch, y'know. In our gang we call her ' _Ikebukuro no honō_ ', cause whenever she's out on her bike she leaves behind this line of red in your eyes. Looks like a trail of flames, y'know? And to add to it she really knows how to fight. She may not be apart of the gang, but she'll help us out if we call her.

"But aside from all the technical stuff like that she's a bit of a weirdo. Blaze cultivated some weird habits like inconsistently using 'ASL' during her conversations. Says it's got something to do with one of her little brothers or something like that. It still doesn't make much sense to me. I mean," Daiki snorted. "we're in Japan, so why would she bother using _American_ sign language to communicate? But whatever, y'know?"

Izaya nodded politely, not out of agreement. He smiled pleasantly and gestured for the man-child, under suspicion of being part baboon now what with how much he kept scratching himself, to continue giving away information so freely.

"And she's got a record for setting shit on fire too. Hey, Masa," Daiki turned in his seat to look back at someone in the shadows. The first figure on the right shuffled forward, remaining mostly in the shadows. "What was the name of the building she actually managed to burn down?"

"That was the liquor store, boss," the man answered dryly.

Izaya couldn't help himself, bursting into a lengthy cackle. Daiki waved the henchman back and turned to face him once again, a grin of his own dominating his face.

"Yeah, she says she did it just because she knew the alcohol would burn well, but _I_ know better. Blaze hates very few things in this world: Pineapples, being underestimated, and alcohol being in that general list. Drugs are in there as well, but she doesn't raise a verbal fuss all that often. But the alcohol has more to do with her dad, and that's just a sore topic all around."

He leaned forward, suddenly much more interested than before. Daddy issues were always fun to discuss. They brought out dirty, ugly little monsters in people. Poking and prodding at these things was an ultimate form of ecstasy. It almost made him wonder if that was how Shinra felt whenever he discussed surgical procedures.

Just as he was about to pry further into Blaze's family matters, the door slammed open.

"Yo, Daiki, we've got a confrontation with some Reds down in South Ikebukuro Park. They jumped Shun and his crew and are trying to claim our territory. _Again_." The voice was gruff, urgent, and he was certain that there was a definite eye-roll involved somewhere. But above all it belonged to a girl.

Daiki shot up from his seat. "You've gotta be shittin' me. Tsuyoi, tell me you're just shittin' me. Can those fuckers just get it through their thick fucking heads for once? No? Well then I guess it's time for a personal appearance to _pound_ it in. Masa, Kirai, round up the gang."

"Oh? Trouble in the city?" Izaya almost wished he had some tea on hand so he could sit back and watch the drama unfold while sipping it idly. But for now he'd just have to settle with tracking the movements of everyone in the room. It was entertaining how a simple message caused everyone to scatter like agitated bees. Or perhaps more correctly, angered wasps.

"Yeah, sorry for cutting this little meeting short, but you're gonna have to leave now. _Tsuyoi!_ " He barked the name of the messenger.

" _What?_ " and the reply was just as equally irritated.

"See to it that Orihara-san is escorted out properly. The rest of you, let's go!"

"Who's shitting who now, you ass! I'm not a fucking bellhop! Let the guy show himself out." The voices faded down the hall as his escort chased her boss around in an attempt to get out of doing the job. Izaya scoffed loudly the moment he was left in complete silence. He stood up and brushed himself down, noting with a hint of disgust how gross the couch he had been sitting one was. It was ripped and covered in unidentifiable substances, some he wished that he didn't have an idea as to what it could be.

He wondered if he should wait around for the girl to come back, or if he should just see himself out like she would rather anyways.

Instantly his mind was made up for him as the maiden of the hour came stomping back.

Izaya turned around and officially let his eyes rest on the human for the first time since she had arrived. The first words that popped into his mind were ' _problem child_ '. She was fairly tall, minus the two inch heeled black boots she wore past her knees, and wore a flimsy grey shirt with a short skirt underneath a long jacket. Her right hand rested against her hip, same side leg jutting out so the weight rested on her left leg and gave the impression that she was seriously annoyed and impatient. The scowl on her face would have had him shaking in his shoes if it weren't for the fact that he wasn't particularly phased and more so interested in how her pointed eyes gave her the look of a fox. Long black hair trailed halfway down her back, the bangs carefully arranged to cover the right eye, only the tips of a scar peeking out from underneath them.

He stuck out his hand, the business smile plastered on his face. "Orihara Izaya, pleasure to meet you."

"Yeah I know who you are. Doesn't make me dislike you any less." She turned her back on him and stalked out of the room. The business smile morphed as he followed after her into something more sly and befitting of the situation. His tongue ran its course over his teeth and felt how sharp they were, enjoying the predatory feeling that was causing the blood in his veins to rush through his system like liquid fire.

"I apologize for inconveniencing you today, but I'm afraid that other than that I have no clue as to just what else I could have done to upset you." He caught up with her easily, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Let's keep it that way," she snipped.

"You wound me. Here I am trying to make up for a wrong even when we aren't properly acquainted, yet you're brushing my efforts off like I'm not trying to be sincere."

From the occasional glances he stole Izaya watched as she progressively became stiffer than a board. Her pace quickened and she sharply rounded a corner, cutting him off as she went. He couldn't help but wonder just when the fists at her sides would come flying at his face.

"Let's see," he continued to pursue conversation regardless of how one sided it had become. "Daiki-san called you Tsuyoi, correct? Then I'll call you Yoi-chin! Let's be friends from now on, okay?"

She rounded on him. "Oh _hell_ no. You do not just get to waltz in, demand information about my best friend, and then force a friendship on me. Let's get one thing straight, _buddy_. I am _not_ your friend, and you will _never_ be mine. So just drop whatever act you playing right now and let me do my job so I don't have be around you any longer than necessary, _okay?_ "

Slowly he stepped forward until they were nearly eye to eye, with him tilting his head down and a mocking smirk on his face. "My, my, Yoi-chin. You've got a sharp tongue that's fresh from the fire, don't you? But I think you've got a misunderstanding. You see, I don't know who your best friend is. I could have been here for any-"

" _Bullshit, Orihara_. I know you and Blaze are in the same class together, and I was right to think you'd come scurrying over to Daiki for information," She wrinkled her nose and gave him a once over. "You information brokers all stink like a rat, but she's right. You're a wolf who will hunt its prey down until it's deader than dead."

"And your proof?" he questioned lightly.

She turned her back on him again. "The wool of the sheep you wear isn't thick enough, dumbass."

Izaya's grin curled wickedly around his pointed features.

 _Good answer._

 **{/ = /}**

It all started with his mother asking him to run an errand. She was busy cleaning and needed some more supplies. Kasuka was doing homework, so he couldn't go do it nor come with Shizuo, and his father was at work. And as it so happened he had absolutely nothing to do and was in a surprisingly good mood at that particular moment.

So, feeling optimistic, he stepped out of the confines of his house and went to the store to do what had been asked of him.

Everything went smoothly. He had gotten to the store, purchased the cleaning supplies, and had left all without a single incident. Even his walk home was peaceful. Shizuo enjoyed this kind of setting. No one was bothering him and for a brief moment he thought that today he could finally relax.

But even as he thought this, a seed of doubt wedged itself painfully in the back of his mind. The longer he walked, the further he went without some sort of unfortunate intervention, the more paranoid he grew. It wasn't like he actually wanted some dumbass to come flying out of nowhere with some kind of spiked weapon, in fact it's highly preferred that _no_ dumbass with a spiked weapon came flying out at him, but the fact that there wasn't one put him on edge. He had become too used to such an occurrence that without it everything felt off kilter.

Shizuo pulled out his pack of cigarettes, flipping the carton open and staring in dismay at the single, solitary cigarette left. He removed it and stuck it in his mouth, discarding the box in a nearby trashcan. As he lit the cigarette he changed directions and headed for a nearby convenience store. By the time he reached it he was smoking dregs.

As he opened the door a gentle chime greeted him. The sound was quiet enough that it didn't bother him very much, and that reassured him that he was still okay. That he was still calm enough to handle his current situation.

He walked up to the register with his eyes on the ground, a hand fishing in his back pocket for his wallet. When he retrieved it he looked up, only to do a double take.

 _What the hell…?_

A little boy who couldn't have been older than three or four sat at the counter, a big book with a ridiculous looking puppy playing with a kitten on the cover in front of him. Big, cow brown eyes stared at the page in utter fascination, a child-like sense of wonder practically causing them to glow. As he flipped the page a small breeze ruffled his coppery hair, so fluffy that it couldn't be contained, some of it sticking up irregularly from the side.

"Uh…"

 _Why is there a kid manning the register? Who the hell makes a kid do that? Aren't there child labor laws or something against that?_

The boy's head popped up and suddenly Shizuo was trapped where he stood. He cocked his head to the side in curiosity and Shizuo had to resist the urge to do the same.

 _Shit, shit, shit. What do I do? Uh, smile! Smile you idiot! He needs to think you're friendly._

A weak smile cracked against his face and he nearly melted from the invisible pressure bearing down on him.

The little boy blinked before grinning a toothy grin and leaning across the counter's surface with his arms tucked underneath him. And in that moment Shizuo knew he was a goner. For as long as he could remember, children have always been one of his weaknesses. He blamed it on the complex he had developed while taking care of Kasuka.

"Hey nii-san, nii-san! Are you gonna buy sumfin from behind de countor?" The little boy waved at him. Shizuo internally slapped himself for losing his cool and nodded his head.

"I need a pack of cigarettes."

The boy nodded, a determined look clashing with his goofy little smile. He slid down from a stool he had been sitting on and disappeared completely. He reappeared with an inaudible pop and ran down a hall that would lead to the restrooms and a room for employees only, yelling "Nee-chan, nee-chan!" as he went. Shizuo was left behind to listen to an imaginary cricket.

With nothing to do he fidgeted around; glancing down to stare at the ridiculous cover of the child's book, looking from side to side between the outside and the freezer items for sale, and bouncing back and forth on the balls of his feet. His moment of confusion was short lived, as the child had quickly returned with an actual employee in tow.

"Best buddy!"

There were few things in life that scared Shizuo. Even fewer times in his life that he has actually been scared. This would be one of those few times. As he heard the voice of a nightmare call out to him, and stared at her dressed in a store uniform, a small part of him died on the spot.

Blaze pranced forward and jumped on him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a strong hug. He stumbled back while trying to find the right way to convey to her to _get the hell off!_

"See best buddy? I knew we were meant to be! First I nearly run you over, then we meet again at school, and now you're showing up at my work? How can you deny the facts now? It's _true love!_ " Shizuo had to forcefully pry her off, fairly surprised that he had to put so much effort into something that was normally so easy. Wary of what she might try to do next, he kept his hand on her shoulder and made sure she remained at a constant arm's length away from him.

" _Wuv! Twu wuv!"_ The child launched himself at Shizuo's legs and suddenly he was faced with the exact same situation all over again, but with no way to pry this one off.

"'Atta boy Finn! Keep him there until reinforcements arrive!"

"Inari-tan!"

His head was spinning by the time the said 'reinforcements' arrived. Another boy, this one much older, but not quite middle school age, appeared from behind him and quietly tapped his arm. Blaze jumped the other boy too and gave him a loving hug. The two stared at each other, well Shizuo wasn't sure if the boy was staring at him, all the dark hair covering his eyes made it hard to tell, while one havoc wreaker clung to his legs and the other tolerated Blaze's weirdness.

Finally the boy, he assumed that this was ' _Inari-tan_ ', tapped the eccentric psycho on the arm and waved his hands around. He caught a few familiar gestures, having seen Blaze use them from time to time, and understood that he was signing. From what he understood, only deaf and mute people used sign language. And if this boy had heard the younger boy calling him then that could only mean…?

"Right, right, sorry," Blaze laughed and completely released Inari. His shoulders sagged slightly and he shook his head before turning to him and signing something.

"He's apologizing for my behavior," Blaze translated as she moved away to stand behind the counter. "Finn, let go of Shizuo now."

The little boy at his feet hopped back, but didn't run away from him. He simply just stood there and stared with big puppy dog eyes. Shizuo, afraid that he'd get sucked into those saucer like vortexes, turned away to face the grin of a maniac. The back of his neck grew warm as Blaze stared at him and he felt oddly embarrassed.

He should have just asked for the cigarettes and left immediately after everything had settled down. But curiosity bested him in this match.

"So are these your brothers?" It was a stupid conversational question, considering what had just barely happened, but he had asked it anyways.

Blaze turned around and fished through a drawer for keys, holding them up triumphantly when she found them. While she unlocked a case that held different brands of smokes she talked.

"Yeah, the little dude at your feet is Finn. He responds to Finny boy or Sharkbait and he is actually a little devil, so don't let his cute looks deceive you. The other little dude behind you is Inari. He's a bit shy so don't be put off if you see him one second and then he disappears the next."

She turned around and placed a white carton on the counter. He stared at the package, wondering how she knew that was the kind he liked.

The answer came to him simply enough as opened his wallet to pay for his purchase. Though her time spent with him had been short, it was enough to glean such a minor fact about himself. What else had she learned about him when he clearly hadn't been paying attention?

And what, exactly, had he learned about her?

 _Aside from the fact that she's insane for hanging out with me… I don't know._

If there's one thing he hated most, aside from Izaya, it was not knowing.

"Hey, Earth to Shizuo! Come in!" He blinked, leaning back with a scowl as Blaze leaned across the counter to wave her hand in his face. She gave him a cheesy grin and rested where she was. To him it appeared she was attempting to replicate some model on the front of a Vogue magazine with varying degrees of success and failure. Something about her oversized store uniform just didn't cut it for her.

" _Eyy hot cakes~ Come here often?_ "

Then again he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know anything else about her. Perhaps he'd be safer that way. Who knew what kind of chaos she'd drag him into.

 _Why do I always have to attract the weirdos?_

"I've gotta get home," he muttered, grabbing his smokes as he turned to go.

Blaze giggled. "Aw, you're going red! That's _adorable!_ Finn, that's _adorable_ isn't it?"

"Yeah, yeah! Shi-tan is adowable!"

" _I am not going red!_ " He spluttered. Whether he had actually been going red before or not he wasn't totally certain, but he most definitely could feel the overwhelming heat engulfing his entire head now. Shizuo's own words were a lie in the betraying wake of his ruddy ears and neck.

He picked up the pace, almost flinging the door off of its hinges as he left, and stomped down the street. As soon as he rounded the corner he stopped and leaned heavily against a wall. Shizuo shook as he pulled out the carton, ripping the box apart and spilling the individual packs on the ground. He knelt and grabbed the nearest one, extracting a cigarette and lighting it immediately. The moment the nicotine entered his system he felt better, if not at least a bit sharper.

Gathering up the rest of the pack, he gave himself time to calm down. He wasn't entirely sure what had come over him as he had made that less than epic escape from the convenience store. There was irritation involved, he was certain of it, but it was… good irritation? It was pretty obvious Blaze had been making fun of, no, _teasing_ him, and that usually meant bad implications in his book. Yet no matter how much he tried to find the bad lighting from the situation, he simply couldn't.

She hadn't meant him any harm in her words, which held more of a friendly quality to them the longer he thought about it.

 _Does she really mean it when she says we're friends?_

Shizuo tried to wrap his mind around it. It didn't help though that the only semblance of a friendship he had to use as comparison was with Shinra, who was obsessed with fairy tales and science, and Tom, who was respectively a laid back and quiet kind of guy.

He shook his head vigorously and shoved the packs back in the bag, almost accidentally tearing a hole right through it. A paper slid out of the bag from the harsh treatment it had been receiving and fluttered gently to the ground. Shizuo picked it up in confusion before realizing it was just the receipt. He was about to toss it back in the bag when a flourish of purple caught his eye.

 _Have a nice day Shi-chan! See you at school tomorrow! Xoxo_

 _-Your bestest buddy in the whole wide world ;)_

Despite having to squint at the messy scrawlings, and then scowl at the new nickname (including strong judgement of the winking smiley she drew), he understood the message. Shaking his head, Shizuo slipped the piece of paper back in the bag and began to walk off again at a peaceful pace. He took a deep breath and then blew a cloud of smoke into the air, a slight grin tugging up a corner of his mouth.

"Tch, you're so annoying."

 **{\ = \\}**

* * *

 _*wheeze* Teasing Shizuo is so fun *wheeze* Teasing Shizuo with small children is even better *wheeze*_

 _*And suddenly a wild street sign appears and knocks the author into the sun. Justice is delivered. Torture is avoided. Shizuo thinks he is safe. A frigid air descends upon him and he stops dead in his tracks. Slowly he turns around, and out of the corner of his eye there he sees him- SHIA LEBOUF!*_

 ** _QOTD:_** _What do you think would happen when Shinra and Blaze combine their sense of humor? My answer will be revealed in the next chapter! ;)_

 _Thank you everyone that has reviewed, faved, and followed. I hope you'll continue to enjoy this story. Best regards,_

 _-Yopū Yuna_


	4. Punny

_The sky was a canvas of gradients. From deep prussian blue at the highest point it melted down to cobalt, sparing little space as it became azure only to clash with the rising sun. The thinnest layer of green kept the soft, dusty yellow from bleeding into the fading night sky, but the world below the horizon remained dark save for that which belonged to twinkling cities. This was the realm that belonged to the creeping dawn._

 _Even so, not everything was asleep at this peaceful hour._

 _One transporter sped down sleepy roads on her way home, the wind ripping through her suit in excitement. At that same time a trail of flames was running her routine rounds before subjecting herself to a tortuous place known as school. Neither had been expecting their meeting to begin at a crossroad._

 **{| = |}**

The darkness seemed to gather around her, yet as she urged her familiar forward towards greater speeds the surrounding shadows also seemed to be repulsed by her presence. Cool morning air, which would have been pleasant if she were on a walk, bit like a sharp lashing of the whip through her thin body suit. Shooter whinnied occasionally into the silence and the motor based voice would echo back in disjointed tones.

Celty enjoyed this time of day most. Everything was either still asleep or just beginning to wake up. It meant just an edge of peace for her in her life in Ikebukuro. And if there was one thing Celty Sturluson was always quick grab a hold of and hoard, it was just that, peace. Every minute of it counted, no matter how quickly it came and went.

She rounded a bend and saw up ahead an intersection. Celty began to slow down upon seeing that she was nearing a red light. Though she wasn't an ordinary resident of Ikebukuro, ordinary being a fairly broad description given her case, she tried to live by the laws of the land as much as she could. Though she found that being an urban legend gave her a little more leeway when it came to, ah, bending the rules in tough situations.

Shooter came to a halt just at the white line, barely making a sound. The moment her familiar stopped then the silence bombarded her. With nothing to do during the small window of waiting she casually glanced around the empty streets before looking down at her hand. A flick of her wrist projected her phone out of her sleeve and she checked to see if she had any messages. To her surprise there were several missed calls. Not so much to her surprise they were from Shinra.

 _That idiot. Doesn't he ever sleep?_

Her fingers flew across the keyboard and in a few seconds she was sending out a message scolding the young man for staying up so late just to wait for her return. It was quickly followed up with another message saying that she would be home soon, and wishing him to have a good day at school. Shinra's reply was instantaneous and more than just a few sleeps short of delirious.

Just as she was about to respond the sound of an engine from behind her purred into existence. Seconds later another person, also riding a motorbike, pulled up on her left.

Celty cast a discreetly curious glance to her temporary road neighbor, wondering who else was insane enough to be up so early riding around Ikebukuro. By the light of a street lamp the most notable feature was the long reddish-brown hair, which bore a glinting orange-ish halo upon the crown of her head. The second most eye catching feature was the blazer of a school uniform with a long, flowing matching skirt. It wasn't an unfamiliar uniform to her either. She just so happened to know a couple of people that also attended Raira Academy.

The girl glanced at her momentarily before turning away, only to do a double take and openly stare at her. Celty groaned. Being an urban legend in these parts was also practically a curse. Even if someone has never met her they'd be able to recognize her on the spot. She wasn't known as the Black Rider for nothing.

"Holy sherbert that is an _awesome_ bike!"

If Celty had eyes, or a head for that matter, she would have blinked in surprise. Repeatedly.

"What kind of model is that? Hmm, it looks kinda like a lowrider. Whoa, it doesn't even have a riser or even a headlight! Dude, that's incredibly dangerous, but like, also really fucking cool. But no, seriously, I _gotta know_ \- What kind of bike are you riding?"

Words poured from the strange girl's mouth faster than a waterfall could tumble from a cliffside, leaving Celty almost breathless in a way. When she had finally fallen silent then Celty could only stare at the girl. In that time the stranger waited patiently for an answer, even as the light turned green.

Finally, with a shake of her helmet, she pulled up her phone and opened up her notepad. Her fingers hesitantly fluttered over the keyboard as she argued with herself as to just _what_ she should say. Clearly she couldn't say that the bike was a mythical creature the same as her. But she couldn't exactly spout out some random name and hope it would pass as a brand of motorbike. Or maybe she could? No, this girl seemed to know her motorcycles. Perhaps she could…

Before she knew it her fingers were steadily tapping out an answer, her arm extending out to hold the device closer to the other person. The girl leaned forward and read it with a contemplative look. She gripped her chin and squinted at the screen, occasionally tilting her head from side to side. Celty slowly retracted her arm and the girl leaned back.

"A horse, huh?" she asked slowly. Celty strained to hear the skepticism in the girl's voice, only finding the barest minimum of traces in it."So then if you ride a horse, would that make you some kind of knight? Or maybe a messenger? A rogue? Uh, who else would ride a horse?"

What exactly was she babbling about knights and messengers for? Now Celty was completely lost. It wasn't often that a human, and a stranger no less, could stump her like this within just the first few minutes of meeting. The only person that could top this girl would be Shinra, whose very existence defied the meaning of logic.

 **[** _Knights? Messengers? What?_ **]**

She held out her phone once again. It also slightly unnerved her how medieval this girl was classifying things, and just how close she had actually to guessing Celty's job. Messenger was practically _kin_ with Transporter.

The girl grinned, an action so unsettling due to the way the orangish-gold lighting cast shadows along her rounded face.

"You can't expect me to not want to find a place for the Black Rider in my system. It practically demands it as a must."

 **[** _System?_ **]**

The girl shrugged, turning so she faced forward again. "It's just how I view the people of the world, including myself."

There was a subtle note of melancholy clinging to her final words which caused Celty to cock her helmet to the side. One moment this girl was a bubbling fountain of excitement and then the next she was a calm glow of embers from a dying fire. It made it impossible to place her finger on exactly what kind of person this girl was. A person that was constantly in motion, able to fit into any mold that they were placed in, was a person who needed to have an eye kept on them.

"Well, the name's Blaze, and it was nice meetin' ya, but I gotta run," The girl saluted before revving her engine and propelling forward. "See ya 'round Black Rider!"

She sped up, turning left and dipping her bike precariously to the side. Celty almost swore that, in the wake of the disappearing biker, she saw a trail of flames.

 **{| = |}**

" _Be~st Bu~ddy!"_ Shizuo froze with one foot hovering above the next step on the stairs. His head swiveled around slowly, eyes procrastinating for him the inevitable moment of eye contact with his psychotic… _friend._ He was still a little hesitant to be using the term when it came to Blaze.

 _Why is it that whenever she calls out to me I feel like I'm in a horror film?_ He wondered as a shiver traveled down his spine.

Blaze stood at the foot of the stairs waving exuberantly at him. With one hand she hiked up her long skirt just a little and sprinted to catch up with him. In moments he was viewing her devilish grin up close.

"Dude, you won't _believe_ who I ran into this morning!" She bounced around him excitedly, forcing him to keep moving in order to not get knocked down the stairs. "I met the Black Rider at an intersection and even held a conversation with her! She's got this _rad as hell_ bike, ya know. I laid my eyes on that beauty and knew I needed one instantly. But then she said it was actually a horse and then I got distracted by something else, but now that I'm thinking about it again I _need_ to know where she got that bike, horse or not!"

Shizuo scowled lightly in frustration as the words flew out of her mouth faster than he could hear them. It was really fucking annoying when she did that. Unfortunately for him that seemed to be a constant speed for her.

"So you ran into Celty and now you want a horse? How the hell did you reach that conclusion?" He asked, turning down a hall. His irritation caused his already long stride to double and Blaze had to jog in order to keep up. Despite the obvious hints via body language that stupid grin was still beaming at him and she continued to talk like nothing was wrong.

"Huh? Her name's Celty? Wow that sounds… what- Irish? Scottish? _Welsh?_ Man I was never good at telling the difference between those three. But anyways, no she said that her bike was actually a horse. Well, she didn't actually say anything, just typed it up on a phone. Hey, does this mean that you know her?"

He really hated how she could bounce between multiple topics in one go. It was like there was no filter telling her to take a breather before continuing on! Of course on some rare occasions she actually did seem to be calm enough to be considered normal, but today her diarrhea of the mouth was shaping out to be exceptionally _horrible_.

Shizuo reached up to scratch the back of his head, only to redirect the course of his hand when they came up on the door that would lead them to the roof. He gripped the handle too tightly, crushing the metal like it was made out of playdoh.

"Yeah, I know her. She's not all that bad because she's _quiet._ "

"Why is that? I mean, I understand not wanting to talk through a thick helmet like that- which, by the way, is a wicked cool helmet- but why not just take it off or something to speak? Does she have a speech impediment? Or maybe she can read and write Japanese, but can't actually _say_ anything in Japanese. Hmm, it truly is a mystery."

And yet another hint bit the dust. Shizuo shoved his hands into his pocket, nearly crushing his pack of smokes in the process. He had just been trying to giver her the benefit of the doubt. To prove that he knew how to be polite when it came to _women_ that irked him. But _no more._ He never was really all that great with being delicate anyhow.

"Blaze?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

" _Eyy_ , I was waiting for you to stop beating around the bush," She pranced the last few steps ahead of him, pushing the door open to let bright light from the outdoors filter in. He gaped at her, vexed. At the very most he had expected her to get offended, not… whatever the hell _this_ was.

Shizuo's mouth snapped shut, teeth grinding harshly together as he demanded an answer from her. "If you knew you were being so damn annoying why the hell did you keep doing it?"

"I was waiting for you to outright tell me I was being a nuisance. If something's bothering you, or if you want something from me, then you just need to come out and say it. Subtlety isn't exactly your forte anyways."

"I can concur with that notion."

Blaze whirled around to confront the stranger, her fists held in front of her defensively. Shizuo's face found itself in contact with his hand, a not so concealed groan echoing in the confined space. From the other side of the door came his idiotic friend from grade school, a brown haired, four-eyed nerd whose name was Shinra.

"Who the hell are you?" Blaze asked, just a few notches shy of demanding.

"Now _that_ is an excellent question! My name is Kishitani Shinra. I'm an Aries, almost nineteen years old, and have a deep fascination for human biology. Have you fallen in love with me yet? Well I hate to break your heart, but my own already belongs to someone else, so I'm sorry this couldn't work out."

For a moment all was quiet. Shizuo started to wonder if Blaze had decided to end Shinra's life, and was just about release his face from the palm of shame to see the carnage when she scoffed.

"Oh, so you're a real wise guy, aren't ya? Well then, two can play that game."

Shizuo's groan filled the stairwell for the second time that day and he finally looked up. He wanted out of here before he got stuck listening to a tirade between these two. There was enough space he could squeeze past Blaze and then he'd be home free. Quickly he pushed through, breathing fresh air while drawing out his pack of smokes so he could pollute it with their acrid scent. Shizuo went around Shinra and to the other side of the smaller building, waving to Tom as soon as he caught sight of him.

"Name's Okada Blaze, originally spelled B-L-A-I-S-E but it _will_ get you killed if you do spell it that way. I'm half American, am also almost nineteen, and I know ASL. I've got two adorable little brothers, an awesome bike, and my best buddy is none other than Shi-chan!"

He winced upon hearing the nickname spoken aloud. It wasn't nearly as bad as the nickname that flea bastard had given him, _but still_. Shizuo quickly lit his cigarette and inhaled deeply. He was gonna end up running out these things again at the rate he was going.

"What?!" Shinra cried in mock outrage. "But I thought _I_ was Shizuo's best friend! We've known each other since grade school. Doesn't that mean anything to you, Shizuo?"

Suddenly Shinra was at his side, forcing him to lean almost all the way back into Tom.

" _Pssh_. I almost ran him over, that _totally_ trumps years of friendship." Blaze calmly walked around him and crouched in front of Shizuo. Resting her arms on top of her splayed knees, and then her cheeks in her hands, she grinned smugly at him.

" _No one's my_ _best friend_ ," he growled. He cast a quick glance at Tom, however, and quickly re-thought his answer. "'Cept maybe for you, Tom. You don't drive me insane like these two morons."

" _Ugh!_ I've been wounded! Denied! Doctor, doctor!"

Blaze dramatically slapped her chest before tipping over, playing dead. Shinra immediately leapt to the call, throwing in some ridiculously heroic line before pulling a _scalpel_ out of his back pocket. The Yankee rolled away upon sighting the sharp object and the mad wannabe doctor went chasing after her.

After a moment of sudden silence, Tom awkwardly coughed. "So… Where exactly did you find this weirdo?"

Shizuo sighed, rolling the butt of the cigarette between his lips until it was nearly hanging all the way out of his mouth. He reached up, rubbing his eyes furiously before moving up and pushing his hair back. Letting out another deep breath he relaxed and leaned back against the wall.

"She nearly ran me over the first time, and then lit my cig the next. And then, for some ungodly reason, she's decided I'm her best friend and has been attached to me ever since. I've been suspecting that she's an escaped patient from a mental institution as an explanation for why she'd do something so stupid."

"Ah," Tom said quietly. "Still, for someone who's insane, she's kinda hot."

"Never thought about it."

" _Hey, hey, Shinra! Did you hear about the man who lost his left side? He's all right now!_ "

He looked up at the change in Blaze's voice just as Shinra burst into raucous laughter. With the upper hand now in her power, she kicked the nerd's feet out from under him. Instead of retaliating physically he chose words as his weapons, laughing so hard he sounded like he was crying.

"Oh yeah? Well I used to have a fear of hurdles, but I got over it." Shinra managed to form a coherent sentence through desperate gasps before sending himself into another round of side clutching laughter.

"The man who created knock-knock jokes deserves a _no-bell_ prize!"

"Don't go _bacon_ my heart~!

"I couldn't," Blaze wheezed. "I couldn't if I _fried_ ~!"

 _What the hell has this devolved into?_ Shizuo desperately tried to wrap his mind around yet another fast paced lunch hour, and failing miserably while he was at it. He stood up, kicking off the wall to propel himself forward, and walked over to the two idiots curled on their sides howling with laughter. His large shadow fell upon them like a tinted, transparent blanket.

Blaze looked up, copper hair strewn across her face like a monsoon had been to town, fresh tears making her eyes shine brightly.

"Hey, Shi-chan. What did the grape say when it got crushed?" Before he could respond she added, "Nothing! It just let out a little… _wine!_ "

His face met the palm of his hand once again.

"What did I do in my past life to deserve being punished like this?" he muttered. Somewhere in the back of his mind he registered the sound of a bell tolling, and before he knew it he was turning on his heel and walking back the way he came. Before he was in reach of the door he took a final drag of his smoke and crushed the remains between his index and thumb, tossing it off to the side.

Behind him Blaze groaned and moaned about not wanting to go back to class, sounding stiff as she got up. Shinra made some other ridiculous comment which he chose to ignore, and Tom fell in line with him, even opening the door and holding it in place. Shizuo nodded and took the stairs two at a time. After dealing with that he was prematurely exhausted and wanted nothing more than to just hurry and get the rest of this day over with.

"Oi! Shizuo, wait up!" He looked over his shoulder just in time to see a streak of red barrel past him. Blaze tried to stop with unfortunate success. Her halt brought her too close to the edge of a step and she pitched forward. Without really thinking about it, his hand shot out and wrapped around her thin wrist. For a brief moment, before he pulled her back, she hung suspended above the remaining steps. Hair now darkened like red syrup fell over her face and hid her expression from view.

"Be careful you moron!" he said gruffly. "Common sense says don't run down stairs like a chicken with its head cut off, stupid!"

"Yeah, but common sense is practically cousins with logic and we can't have none of that now can we?" She brushed her hair out of the way with her free hand, and he realized that he still had yet to release her other one. He quickly let her go, the back of his neck and his cheeks beginning to feel unreasonably warm. With a slight tilt of her head she smirked. He scowled and stomped down the stairs.

"That doesn't even make any sense!"

"Exactly! Remember Shi-chan, we're _all_ mad here," She skipped past him at a much slower pace. "Anyways, I also wanted to tell you, before you _ran away_ to class, that I'm gonna give you a present tomorrow."

"Huh? Why?"

He stopped. No one ever gave him presents unless they were his family, and even then it was only on occasions like his birthday or Christmas. He never received anything on Valentines and subsequently never gave anything back on White Day. Girls were terrified of him, and guys were… well guys were intent on killing him. So for him this was a new curveball which he wasn't sure how to dodge.

Blaze hopped down to the landing and turned to face him, her hands behind her back. "We're best buddies now, so why not?"

She turned to go then, leaving him behind in the wake of her insanity.

"Well that seems like pretty sound logic to me," Shinra said thoughtfully as he pushed past him. "But we'll reflect upon that later. Right now we've gotta get to class otherwise we'll be late!"

Shizuo nodded absently and followed after him. The only thing on his mind was how Blaze was just as equally a mystery as she was strange.

 **{\ = \\}**

The door creaked open to reveal a shoddy, run down, one room apartment. The opposing wall revealed cracked and flaking white paint, and a mound of pillows and blankets messily shoved into the corner. On another wall was a small tv that belonged to a completely different decade. A drab brown mini couch sat adjacent to it while an even smaller lazy boy touched corners with the couch. Near the tv was a door that led into a cramped bathroom. On the wall across from it was a small stove set and a medium sized fridge. Everything was in poor condition, but it was home nonetheless.

Blaze shuffled inside, letting the creaky door swing shut behind her. Her bag fell from her shoulder and her shoes slipped easily off her feet. She then beelined for the fridge as fast as she could on wobbly legs. As she traversed the short distance the door the bathroom opened.

"Hello, hello, hello! Welcome home Blaze."

"Hey Issa," she mumbled, flinging the door to the fridge open and bending over. Blaze stared blankly at the half empty fridge, blinking quickly every now then to rid the heavy feeling that brought about the strong need to close her eyes. She just needed to find one thing…

"I thought I'd stop by and you know, _check up_ on you," She rolled her eyes, a light smile playing on her lips.

 _And people wonder where I get the need to crack shitty puns from._

"So?" Issa asked. "Has anything changed at all since the last time we had this discussion?"

She squinted at the fridge, not finding what she was looking for. She cast a suspicious glance at the sink and saw a plate with crumbs in it. Blaze straightened out and slammed the fridge door shut.

"You fucking ate the last of my cake, asshole."

"Excellent deduction, Sherlock. How am I going to die this time and where will you hide the body?"

Blaze spun on her heel and moved to face the man in her apartment.

Though he was twenty-three and stood taller than her by just barely, he still backed down when faced with a glare that demanded a blood sacrifice. Issa ran slender fingers through his golden hair, constantly smoothing down a cowlick on the side of his head, which refused to cooperate. His eyes squeezed shut tightly and he held his other hand up defensively while smiling apologetically. Occasionally he would open one eye to reveal a stark blueness not unlike that of the deep ocean.

For a few seconds longer Blaze kept up the deadly glare, but dropped it in favor of slinking over to the pile of blankets. With zero grace she fell right on top of the pile and wriggled around until she was comfortable.

"Seven accidents, Issa," She finally said, sighing.

"Huh? What?"

"I was almost in seven accidents. These pills you gave me make me tired as hell, and I've had to put more effort into looking like a living crazy person instead of a zombie on drugs."

Soft footfalls treaded across the floor until they stood just in front of her. She forced one eye, both of which had closed the moment her face came into contact with soft material, to take a peek at her unofficial guardian. Issa crouched, bouncing back and forth on the balls of his feet, staring at her with a critical eye.

"Idiot, don't you read the labels when I give you these things? Muscle relaxers are _gonna_ make you drowsy. And when you're drowsy you are _not supposed to operate heavy machinery!_ Why didn't you just take the transit like a _normal_ high schooler?"

He reached out and flicked her forehead. Blaze scowled, wrinkling her nose and turning to burrow herself further into the protection of her comforters.

"And leave my bike? Get jumped by Jirou's lackies? I think my chances with traffic were better," she scoffed. She frowned at her own mention of Jirou and his subordinates, briefly flashing back to his offer, which led to an argument that she had thought ended the moment she made where she stood known loud and clear.

Issa sighed, shifting so he sat cross legged instead. "And you still won't ask anyone for help, will you?"

She stiffened. "I don't _need_ anyone's help. I can handle this on my own."

The tone in Issa's voice pitched lower, and she cringed at how much it sounded like his heart was breaking. "No man is an island, Blaze. If you keep doing things on your own, you're gonna get killed."

Blaze rolled over, not feeling so drowsy anymore. A lump quickly grew in her throat and forced an unbearable pressure on her lungs. So quietly that it was almost hoarse, she whispered, "Stop trying to be a Knight, Issa."

"I'm not trying to _be_ a Knight, Blaze, I'm trying to be your friend."

She hated it, because he was absolutely right.

"Knight, Friend, Medic…," A sigh escaped her like a ghost of a whisper. "Whatever the case may be, a Parasite like myself only has a bad end no matter how you look at it."

"Blaze…"

She looked over her shoulder and smiled wistfully at him. "Hey, don't put much stock into it. Those are just the ramblings of a mad woman, like always."

The suspicion in his eyes only heightened at her words, but she had turned away from them once again. Issa sighed, a sound similar to that of a balloon deflating. He leaned over and mussed her hair before getting up and wandering around her small room.

"Can't beat you, won't join you, but I'll be here if you need me."

A real grin stretched across her face.

"Thanks, Issa."

"Yeah, yeah. Now shut up and go to sleep already, dummy."

"Aye aye Captain."

 **{+ = +}**

* * *

 _This was an adventure... I suddenly pity Shizuo's sanity now that Blaze has met Shinra. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments. Best regards,_

 _-Yopū Yuna_


	5. Of Home and City Encounters

**Note:** _When you see the name "Kides", Blaze's nickname for a certain character, please note that I pronounce it "Keeds". Thank you, and sorry for being somewhat weird about pronunciation- I'm just very picky about things like that._

* * *

Blaze stood outside of a small house, unconsciously swaying from side to side. A narrow path with a ragged mixture of grass and weeds surrounding it led up to a smudged white door. Slender wind chimes hung off the roof and echoed quietly in the face of a breeze. It was a mildly quaint image on the outside, but beyond the door was a hoard of ugly memories. It didn't even matter that it wasn't the same house in which those memories had been made, her mother had made sure they moved around too much for that to have been a possibility, but the people inside still bore the evidence as if it had all happened yesterday.

She hung her head and studied the ants traversing along cracks in the sidewalk. As much as she hated this place, was even _repulsed_ by it, there was no way she could leave it behind yet. Not with her brothers still in it. With a defeated sigh Blaze hooked her thumbs through the belt loops of her shorts and ambled up the pathway, boots clicking sharply against the concrete.

The door opened easily at her touch and she frowned.

 _Cheap locks. Guess I'll have to add that to the list of things I need to buy for them._

She sighed again, this time much more deeply. As much as she loved her brothers, even enjoyed taking care of them, it _wasn't_ supposed to be her job. Blaze was not their mother. She had tried to make that clear to the one who was _supposed to be their mother_ by moving into her one room apartment all those years ago, a place that the boys couldn't live comfortably with her, but the woman was cracked. Reason, logic, and reality failed to make a full revolution in that woman's mind anymore these days. Not since that bastard-

Her grip on the doorknob tightened drastically. No, she wasn't going to think about him right now. If she let herself… Blaze shook her head and slipped inside the house, shutting the door behind her. The foyer was dim and the hallway long. Shoes of various sizes were sloppily piled in a corner by the door, no doubt an attempt to prevent any accidents for the people coming inside. Along the walls, though they were sparse, were pictures of her, Inari, and Finn. Not one of those frames held a photograph of her mother or father.

Muffled footsteps pounded on the floor and her eyes snapped away from the walls. Inari skidded around the corner, almost falling as he went, and frantically began signing.

 _\- 'He's here! Masaom-'_

"Yo! Your most favoritest cousin in the whole world is here just so you can bask in his glory. Chicks dig him, guys wanna be him, Kida Masaomi!"

A boy the same age as Inari strutted around the corner, winking and flashing a peace sign once he was in full view. Compared to her brother this boy was his exact opposite; unbearably loud, blonde, and up to date in style for kids his age these days. But most importantly he was _annoying._ Inari, on the other hand, hardly ever used his voice, was the only one of all three siblings to have inherited black hair, and could only be found wearing baggy clothes that seemed to swallow him up. Inari was _a delight_ to be around.

Blaze folded one arm across her stomach and gripped her elbow, her face acquainting itself with her other hand not for the first time because of her cousin.

"Is that how you're introducing yourself now?" she sighed.

Masaomi shrugged and leaned back against the corner of the wall. "Alright so it's a hit and miss deal. Can't expect all the pretty chicks to be a fan of it."

"Did- Did you just hit on me? You're, like, _ten_." Blaze pulled her head away from her hand and began walking. She stopped when she was a step past her brother and cousin and scoffed, throwing her hands in the air. "Oh wait! You _are_ ten! Silly me."

The two boys kept up a pace behind her as she moved on, exceptionally quiet snickering coming from the shadow of the family. Music drifted towards her ears as she walked down the hall and she heard Finn singing along with the ridiculously catchy tune. A little grin pulled at the corner of Blaze's mouth and she popped into the joint kitchen and living room. There was hardly anything to attribute to these two rooms aside from the single, shoddy looking couch and the usual equipment that comes with a kitchen. Beyond the kitchen, though, was another hallway that branched off into three separate rooms; one being a bathroom. For a moment she stared at the furthest door on the right side of the hall, her mind a blank landscape and a small tic developing in her jaw. But after getting nothing out of the action she quickly refocused her attention to the lump on the floor.

Sitting squarely in the middle of the cheap carpet, wrapped up in the checkered blanket he's had since he was born, was Finn in all of his toddler glory. His brown, wide-eyed gaze remained firmly glued on the television even as she walked in and bent over to ruffle his hair some. Between singing along with the cartoon he managed to squeeze in a jumbled greeting to her, though. A light chuckle escaped her and she straightened out, moving to the kitchen.

"Have you guys eaten yet?"

"Nah, we were just about to when you came in and 'Nari bolted off," Masaomi sighed dramatically. "With the way he scrambled away one would almost think he was trying to _warn_ you of my presence. It almost breaks my heart to think that I, your most beloved of cousins-"

"The only one that we've seen since we've moved to Japan," Blaze interjected crisply, opening a couple different cupboards and pulling out a pan, a mixing bowl, and dry pancake mix. Masaomi ignored her and continued plowing on.

"-would be treated like a suspicious guest simply by being in your home."

Blaze snorted in disbelief at his choice of words, shaking her head. She poured a sizeable amount of dry mix into the bowl and then maneuvered over to the fridge to procure a couple eggs and milk. A frown pulled at the corners of her mouth as she noted the lack thereof of food in the fridge, making a mental note to go shopping later. "That's because the only time you ever seem to come over is when Hanako-oba tells you to. And we all know she wants you to spy on us."

Masaomi sidled over and leaned against the counter. With a shrug he said, "Yeah, well we also know that you still don't actually live here and you're mom is mentally AWOL, so it's a moot point."

"Only if you keep that little detail to yourself, Kides," she warned, raising a batter coated spoon in a mildly threatening manner. The boy took the opportunity to grab it, getting in one good lick before she yanked it back with a yelp. Masaomi grinned devilishly before ducking to avoid the clout to his head. He pranced away and tactically hid behind Inari, who remained a neutral, uninterested party to the exchange.

Rolling her eyes, Blaze turned away from them and continued to make breakfast. Masaomi said something about the tv to Inari and she assumed that they had gone over to watch the cartoon with Finn, if not outright change the channel altogether. She would know the outcome the moment Finn started hollering, but until then peace would reign. With her back to them she finally let the displeasure of the situation overcome her face. A grimace replaced the half smile, and her eyes narrowed, brows drawn together as if she were concentrating hard.

It really wasn't unusual to see Masaomi around whenever she came over- in fact it was almost beginning to feel like he was planning for it to happen this way- but the reason as to why was always irksome. Hanako, his mother, was always 'trying to keep an eye on them', whatever the hell that was supposed to mean. In Blaze's opinion, if she really meant to keep an eye on them then she wouldn't be sending _her son_ over to keep so called tabs on them. And if Hanako truly meant a single word she said about being _family_ then she wouldn't have been all for the group effort of disowning that bastard Blaze had for a father all those years ago, effectively making him the man he'd become when he walked right out the front door, breaking more than just her mother's heart.

But that was none of her business.

As she watched the pancakes cook she reflected bitterly on the last ten years of her life; from the time she had been a stranger in a strange land, to when her dad had left and she had begun her descent into rebellion, right to the current plethora of problems. The walls of her surroundings were painted with bad memories, one layer right after the other. It took everything she had just to not hit something.

An earsplitting shriek broke through her concentration and she turned around to see Masaomi fending off an attack from both an incensed toddler and Inari, waving the remote just out of the reach of both. Her gaze briefly flickered to the tv and saw that the cartoon was no longer dominating the screen and then back to the raging battle on the small couch. She briefly thought about stepping in and breaking the fight up, and then decided it wasn't worth it. If her cousin was gonna be stupid enough to change the channel without asking then he deserved what he was getting. Blaze turned her back on the scene and continued making pancakes like she hadn't seen a thing.

"Blaze, help me!"

She flipped a pancake over and ignored him.

"Reinforcements! I need reinforcements!"

The last of the batter was poured onto the pan, and she opened the fridge again to retrieve some butter.

"Man going down! Man going down!"

A smirk cracked along her features and she finally looked over her shoulder, just barely managing to witness Masaomi get thrown off the couch. Finn heavily sat down on top of him and repeated the action a few times just to make sure his cousin got the message before taking the remote back with a loud huff.

"Hell hath no fury like a toddler who was robbed of his cartoon, and a brother willing to help him, eh Kides?" she chuckled unremorsefully. Masaomi groaned something unintelligible from the floor and Blaze took it as confirmation of understanding. With it she grabbed the plate loaded with pancakes and pushed it into plain sight.

"Order up!"

 **{ + = + }**

To Tsuyoi the sounds of a lively, bustling city was a symphony- on a good day anyways. She was a person who was accustomed to an abundance of loud noises, was even prone to making quite a few herself, and couldn't really imagine a world without noise. Sight, maybe. But sound? She'd most likely go insane and destroy something if she only had her own thoughts to listen to.

But that was the beauty of Ikebukuro for her; silence was null and void. No matter where she went there was always _something_ happening. Whether it broke down to traffic, the idle chatter of civilians, or the gossipping and brawling of rivalry color gangs, Tsuyoi reveled in it all. Her temperamental nature may have demanded such a constant need for the chaos of continuous racket, but at heart she was a true musical enthusiast.

Even as she stood amidst a throng of strangers in the middle Ikebukuro, headstrong music from one headphone competing against the din of the city, she experienced yet another fleeting moment of enchantment.

Tsuyoi looked up and studied the sky, squinting her good eye as the sun hit her face. Removing her hand from the pocket of her coat, she tipped the green brim of her hat just enough so that it shielded her eyes from the worst of the bright rays. Puffy white clouds moved slowly against a baby blue backdrop and lulled her into a thoughtful stupor. Between the scenery and noise Tsuyoi could safely say she had found the perfect balance of contentment.

Her phone vibrated in the other pocket of her coat and the spell was broken. She scowled, looking down while she pulled the silver model out, flipping it open. The scowl dissipated once she saw the contact name.

 **[** _There's gonna be an extra tagging along with us on our outing_ **]**

She puffed out her cheeks and deflated them quickly.

 **[ lemme guess, the little womanizer? ]**

 **[** _The one and only ;) Dork tried hitting on me earlier, then proceeded to get owned by a three year old for daring to change 'Chi's Sweet Home' to something else_ **]**

 **[ lol kinda disappointed that i missed that ]**

 **[** _You would have probably stripped him of the little pride he had remaining XD_ **]**

 **[ ¯\\_(** **ツ** **)_/¯ guilty as charged ]**

 **[** _And so long as Elane doesn't come out of her room then we should also relatively be on time_ **]**

A corner of her mouth tugged down in a lopsided frown. Over the years that they had known each other Tsuyoi had managed to slowly coax information out of Blaze about her family and had come to empathize with her friend's feelings and opinions on the matter. When it came to her father he was a drunk and a druggie that couldn't prioritize his family over selfish desires, and deserved more than a swift kick in the balls for his actions. Her mother was simply just a shell of the former woman she had been and an alcoholic, which took dealing with her to a whole new level of effort any time she stepped out of her room. But even though Tsuyoi understood all of this, it still bothered her a little that her best friend could be so cold as to refer to her own mother by her first name like that.

But it wasn't really her place to say anything about it. Blaze had her own way of working things out, even if it did take many, many years to do so. And she knew from experience the kind of backlash she'd receive if she tried to do more than what was asked of her, so she respected her friend's methods as best as she could.

 **[ aw don't sweat it too much, it's not like i actually have anything to do outside of the gang ya know ]**

 **[** _Yeah…_ **]**

She looked up briefly and managed to step aside a teenage boy at the same moment he made a move to walk around her. Automatically her good eye honed in on his golden crown, admiring the rich sheen it emitted when the sunlight bounced off of it. Blondes weren't really her type, per se, but she found a majority of them aesthetically pleasing.

The more she stared at his receding figure, though, the more Tsuyoi began to match up certain appearances with wild rumors and the solid description of her best friend. The half frown turned upside down and became a quirky smirk.

 **[ hey i gotta go bother someone real quick, but if ya need help with transportation then just beam me up scotty ]**

 **[** _Roger! lol_ _(((c=(°_ _ロ_ _°;q_ **]**

 **[ nerd ]**

 **[** _Only for you babe_ _(_ _づ￣_ _³_ _)_ _づ_ **]**

She snorted and tucked the phone away, spinning on the balls of her heels and lightly jogged to catch up to the disappearing teen. Well, he stood above the majority of the crowd so he wasn't that hard to see, but he was getting away pretty fast. Her target's long legs made it more of a chase over a simple run. Tsuyoi growled in frustration and yelled, "Oi! Blondie with the tacky track jacket!"

The blonde's head snapped up and he looked over his shoulder, right foot hovering just above the ground. Tsuyoi sped up just before coming to a hasty halt in front of the boy. He looked her up and down with confused caramel eyes. Slowly she mimicked the action and smirked.

"You Heiwajima Shizuo?" she asked gruffly.

He blinked a couple of times, eyebrows knitting closer and closer together in suspicion. "Do I know you?"

Tsuyoi shoved her hands deep into her pockets and relaxed her shoulders. It was totally understandable that he'd respond like that; strange chick with gang colors calling him out all of a sudden, he probably thought it was another attack for no good reason. It was pretty clear though to see the chivalry Blaze had gone on about before. Even now he was trying to be courteous by giving her the benefit of the doubt.

"Me? Nah. My friend on the other hand, well, you could say that you two became an unlikely duo of friends within the short span of time you've known each other. Oh by the way," she leaned forward a little, bouncing back and forth on her feet. "How was that CD? Blaze never said anything after she had me help her burn it."

Though it really was the technical term for putting music onto a CD, Tsuyoi couldn't help but snicker at the unintended pun, knowing Blaze and all.

Shizuo's bleached brows skyrocketed beyond his wavy hairline, completely floored by the turn of events. He fully turned around, now completely invested in what was quickly turning into a long run conversation.

"You know Blaze?" he asked slowly, taking his time now to look her over again. With a huff he also added, "And most of the music on there was in English, so it was hard to understand."

"Eh," Tsuyoi shrugged. "Blaze said that listening to J-Pop was how she learned to speak Japanese, so she figured that making her friends listen to American music will help them learn English. Don't worry, you're not the only one who's gotten confused by her weird antics, nor are you the only one who's gotten a CD."

She winked. "Though mine's definitely different from yours. I'm more oriented towards heavy metal and rock, so that's what I got. You though…"

It had surprised her when she had gone over the playlist Blaze had set up. For a guy that was famous for his monstrous strength and quick temper, the last thing she had expected to see was low-key alternative and relatively uplifting music. Sure there had been some bands that had made edgy music thrown in, and maybe a couple of the songs themselves did get a little deep on a relatable level, but everything seemed to contradict the image built around the boy named Heiwajima Shizuo. There were even a few Vocaloid songs thrown in for crying out loud! Or maybe it was Utau? Tsuyoi could never really tell the difference between the two. They were both computer based so there wasn't much difference between them in her mind.

"So… You're Blaze's friend then?" He tilted his head slightly to the left and raised his hand to scratch behind his ear. "She's probably mentioned you, but I'm terrible with names…"

"No problem. Name's Kato Tsu-"

"Yoi-chin! What a pleasant surprise. I didn't think I'd run into you here today."

Every fiber of her being froze in place. As she stiffly looked around Shizuo, noting that he had gone rigid as well, she hoped with all of her willpower that she wouldn't see a pile of trash walking towards them. All of her hoping was shot down like a bird during hunting season. Wearing a chic leather jacket, a rust brown shirt underneath, and a matching ensemble of pants and shoes, was none other than the Wolf. Tsuyoi glowered at him, her right hand flying out of her pocket and inside of her jacket, wrapping around a familiar slender pole.

Shizuo looked over his shoulder with a look that bordered barely controlled rage and a manic desire to commit murder. She found herself sympathizing with the blonde beanpole.

"Oh Shizu-chan! I didn't see you there," Izaya stopped a good few feet away from the duo while tucking his hands into his pockets. He studied the both of them with eyes narrowed in cool calculation. Tsuyoi could have sworn she saw the shadow of a wolf lingering on his features.

Finally he trained his maroon eyes solely on her and he smirked. She threw head back and whipped the baton out of her jacket, the smooth metal extending to its full length just past her knees. Without a second thought as to where she was, or even what she was doing, she leapt forward and around Shizuo, aiming to beat the ever living shit out of the jackass in order to wipe that smug grin off of his face.

"You dumbfuck! I told you the next time I saw you I'd send you on a one way trip to hell!" Tsuyoi nearly screeched at him as she raised that baton and swung it in a smooth diagonal arc. Izaya practically glided out of the way, his form as poised and practiced as a professional dancer almost. Her lips curled up in a twisted snarl and she surged forward again.

A shrill sound erupted the moment she brought her baton down again and she cringed. To her dismay the source of the sound was brought on by a small, sleek pocket knife visibly trembling against the pressure she issued when pushing downwards to gain the advantage. Tsuyoi looked up and into Izaya's eyes with absolute loathing flowing through her veins. He returned her gaze with nothing but disgustingly innocent curiosity and enjoyment.

"Why so angry with me Yoi-chin? What on earth could I have possibly done to rile you up so much? All I did was say hello."

"Oh don't play dumb," she spat. "You know exactly what you did!"

He leaned in slightly. As much as she was revolted by him, despised being so close to him, she refused to back up simply because she spurned yielding to _him_. A sickeningly sweet smile spread across his creamy almond-toned skin. The look in his eyes, a deep crimson cage to a meddlesome demon, made her very flesh begin to crawl.

His next words were coated thickly with honey too sweet for her liking.

"Yoi-chin's being pretty bold. Perhaps she's wearing black lace again?"

* * *

" _Don't dawdle, Orihara," Tsuyoi snapped. "I'm here to show you the way out, not babysit you in your side playground."_

 _Izaya let out a pitiful groan, acting like a wounded animal. "Yoi-chin is being so cold to me! You big meanie!"_

" _Stop calling me that!" She snapped. The heels of her boots clicked louder as she picked up the pace, rounding another corner. If the Informant hadn't been an annoying thorn in her side yet, he had most definitely achieved that level and beyond now. The sooner she got rid of him the sooner she'd be able to breath easier._

 _As if in answer to her desires she spotted the exit. If she was a believer of angels she would have sworn she heard a heavenly choir beckoning her to the promised land. Tsuyoi came to an abrupt halt at the end of the hallway and gestured for the Wolf to take his leave. To her dismay he got closer to her instead, as if he were sad to go and didn't want to leave her._

" _There's the door." The words fell like a harsh blizzard descending upon the open tundra from her mouth, and her glare could have frozen anyone in place. Anyone except the annoying man overstepping his boundaries with each passing second he remained here._

" _It was a pleasure to meet you, Yoi-chin." She clenched her teeth together tightly. "It's a shame we couldn't socialize a little bit longer. Though I've already got your type figured out, I'd still like to have a little more time observing you."_

 _She bit her tongue to avoid releasing a torrent of scathing remarks. Best to avoid prolonged conversation with this devil. Izaya extended his hand out and Tsuyoi observed it warily. He chuckled lightly,_ mockingly _._

" _It's not going to bite," Tsuyoi hissed and struck, grabbing his hand in her own and shook his hand vehemently. Just before she could pull away, though, Izaya pulled her in._

 _Before she could think, she reacted. She balled the collar of his shirt in her fist and rammed her shoulder into his ribcage, heaving upwards and throwing him over her head. The boy sailed over her and hit the ground with a satisfying_ thump _. For a moment he struggled to breathe like a fish out of water, but all the while he grinned, much to her dismay._

" _Who knew Yoi-chin liked black lace? I guess that's why she's always so bold." Izaya chuckled hoarsely between wheezes. She frowned at him before what he meant dawned on her. The harsh flames of embarrassment licked at her face like a thirsty dog lapping at a shallow puddle and she brought her foot down within inches of hitting his head, fists clenching tightly at her sides._

" _You fucking perv! Get out of here before I kick your ass out for you! And if I see your face around again I'll send you to hell with no return ticket!" she bellowed shrilly, stamping her foot again and again until he rolled away from her in laughter. Izaya stood up, dusting himself off. He winked at her before turning to skip away from her screeching, leaving the building._

* * *

"You're a dead man, Orihara." Tsuyoi growled and pushed down harder, forcing Izaya to bend his knees.

"That's all well said and done, Yoi-chin, but you might wanna duck first."

"Wha-?!" Izaya slipped out from underneath her, to the side, and she stumbled forward. She caught herself by shoving her hands out to break the fall. Tsuyoi turned around just in time to see something large, heavy, and red come flying out of nowhere right at the Wolf.

Her mouth dropped in shock as Izaya twirled out of the way. He stared not at her, but at the forgotten member of this party. Sunlight glinted off of his knife as he flicked it side to side slowly. Little soft clicking sounds mocked the other young man like he were a little boy. "Tut, tut Shizu-chan. Don't you even possess a shred of courtesy to wait your turn? Didn't you see that the lady had me first? I suppose that being a monster means you do lack a lot of human decency, but even so, I'm disappointed in you, Shizu-chan."

" _ **Izaya!**_ " Shizuo howled.

"Still one track minded as always," Izaya sighed. He quickly threw a pitiful simpering glance at Tsuyoi and said, "My apologies Yoi-chin, but it seems we're going to have to cut this encounter short. We'll meet again though, I promise!"

With that the Wolf turned tail and retreated away from the chaos. Before she could properly formulate a response, another roar erupted from the blonde and he charged after the running Informant. As Shizuo ran past her, Tsuyoi had the sudden need to further question Blaze's sanity; pulling out her phone and opting for camera mode, she took a sloppy picture of Shizuo running after Izaya.

 **[ oi are you sure this guy's your friend? ]**

 **[** _!Shi-chan!_ **]**

 **[** _Here come dat boi_ **]**

 **[** _Oh shit whaddup_ **]**

 **[ must you meme right now? ]**

 **[** _lol How come you didn't say you was gonna be bugging Shi-chan? I coulda given you pointers_ **]**

 **[ no seriously, how are you friends with this guy? ]**

 **[** _Call it what you will. Fate. Destiny- (A horse) but we were totally meant to be. Cliched manga says it all_ ◔ ⌣ ◔ **]**

 **[ dude he can toss fucking VENDING MACHINES! who even does that?! ]**

 **[** _Shi-chan, duh_ ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ **]**

 **[ you're fuckin nuts have i ever told you that before? ]**

 **[** _It's been awhile, but yes, yes you have._ **]**

 **[** _But!_ **]**

 **[** _But but but- you're my friend too so what does that say about you?_ **]**

 **[ … ]**

 **[ touche ]**

 **[** (≖ヮ≖) _Aww yiss_ **]**

 **[ remind me why i put up with you though? ]**

 **[** (◕ ‿ ◕✿) _Because you love me numb nuts_ **]**

 **[ caught again. anyways, despite this lovely disruption we're still set for later, right? ]**

 **[** _Oh ho? You haven't been scared off by Shi-chan then? You don't need time to recover or anything?_ **]**

 **[ lol fight me** (ง'̀-'́)ง **]**

 **[** （╯°□°）╯︵(\ .o.)\ **]**

 **[** _You is been fought_ **]**

 **[ then i'll take that to mean we're still on for later ]**

 **[** _Roger!_ **]**

 **[ aight, see you then ]**

Tsuyoi looked up from her phone, slipping it into her pocket as she studied the sky once again. Despite the unusual disturbance, and pain in the ass encounter, she couldn't help but smile.

"Heh, god I love Ikebukuro," she muttered before turning and disappearing into the crowd.

 **{- = - }**

* * *

 _I apologize for the delayed update and have made this chapter extra long because of it. I've been very depressed recently and haven't been able to write let alone be funny, and have also been drowning myself in Mystic Messenger feels as a substitute for heely-ing away from my feelys._ (ಥ_ಥ) _Hopefully this chapter didn't turn out too weird because of it. Anyways, best regards,_

 _-Yopū Yuna_

 _P.S. If you're on mobile I apologize for the emojis not showing up properly, just know that they are not glitches._


	6. Black Ties

"She thinks that she can just get away with whatever she wants! It's always the same with that cocky bitch."

"We need to teach her another damn lesson…"

"She's always been running around without knowing her place, fucking with different gangs and spittin' on their names after she's done! First Jirou, now that fucker from the Green Hats. Goddamn whore's probably been with every gang leader out there."

A muscle twitched near Jirou's eye as the murmuring in the crowded room grew louder. He sat on his throne, in the castle he had built upon _his_ empire, observing every face in the crammed room. His head rested delicately on the tips of his fingers, seconds away from grounding themselves into his temple if he had to keep listening to this bullshit. Every croney and goon in the crowd before him bobbed and weaved like a living mass of festering diseases born from hatred. It made him sick, but he continued to watch them as they spat vile things on the name of a single person.

In his lap his free hand worked itself, fingers splaying out and curling in. Jirou had no idea how long he had been doing this, but it was starting to make the joints in his fingers ache. The method itself usually calmed him down, saved him a broken hand when it boiled down to it, but currently it wasn't doing him a damned thing. Any time _that_ woman's name was mentioned his blood boiled. But as well as whenever she was brought up, if he caught anyone talking shit about her… He was a volcano awaiting the breaking point for his eruption.

"Hey, didn't Blaze have some little brothers? If we just go pick 'em up then we'll have that little bitch–"

Jirou slammed his fist on the arm of his seat, hissing. " _Absolutely not!_ "

A hush fell over the room. He glared at everyone, blood pulsing steadily, loudly through his ears. To think that they would be such _idiots_ as to suggest something like that! Jirou exhaled heavily through his nose. Slowly his fingers uncurled from the fist and he forced himself to relax.

"Every single one of you knows damn well that if you touch her brothers she will not hesitate to burn you alive, and make the city watch while she's at it. That's the thing about dealing with _Ikebukuro no honō_ , if you aren't careful while dealing with her flames you'll not only burn yourself, but start a goddamn forest fire."

Under any other circumstances he would have agreed with the person who had made the suggestion. It was a general rule to use anything in your arsenal against a person you were trying to blackmail, and if that meant holding a precious person hostage, then so be it. But when it came to Blaze and her brothers, well, he chose that path that left him _un_ -castrated and _alive_. Not that he was a coward or anything, but he was smart enough to understand what would push a person over the edge. And she had made it _very_ clear what would happen if anyone dragged her brothers into their shit.

He stood up and began to pace, pinching his stubbled chin between his forefinger and thumb in deep thought. Of course, he couldn't just let Blaze go, though she had been gone for a little more than a year. Not after the stunt she had pulled on him, and the continuous challenges she had made afterwards. Something had to be done about her. She needed to be _brought in_ so they could _talk_. But evasion was practically one of Blaze's specialties. If she didn't want to be caught, which was pretty much always, then she wouldn't get caught.

"Anyone know where she's attending school this time?"

If he could just trap her in one spot with enough of his people…

"I've seen her running around in a Raira uniform," someone said thoughtfully. Jirou ceased his pacing and looked up at the dark ceiling.

"Bring her in."

 **{ ╳ }**

Blaze ground her teeth together, digging her nails into her scalp so hard that she was amazed she hadn't started bleeding yet. Underneath the outer layer of pain her head was throbbing. Waking up with a headache had been a bitch to deal with, but now almost halfway through the school day with no signs of it letting up? That was clearly Karma's way of telling her to fuck off. It made her want to drop-kick Karma into the sun before doing a backflip pirouette out the window to see if she could survive a literal splitting of her head.

Yes, today was a _lovely_ day.

She stifled a groan, settling for biting her lip and taking deep, controlled breaths through her nose. Somewhere in the back of her mind she heard the teacher prattling on with some uninteresting lecture. Forcing herself to relax, she untangled one hand from her hair and leaned heavily on the other. Stray strands of crimped auburn hair fell between her eyes and she gave a short huff in defeat. Worry of increasing the intensity of her headache had led to her forgoing brushing her hair, which usually looked like a minor disaster area after waking up, and now that she had toyed with it in her little fit then it was undoubtedly a rat's nest at this point.

At this point Blaze couldn't give less of a damn anymore. If her attitude wouldn't be enough to discourage people attempting to converse with her, then perhaps looking like she just spent a wild night on the wrong side of the town might. She didn't want to socialize. Didn't want to interact with anyone. Didn't even want to _be_ here right now. But she had grades to try and maintain—good grades led to better jobs so long as they didn't look at her criminal records. And better jobs were needed if she were to continue supporting her little brothers.

 _God_ , she wasn't their mother! She shouldn't have to be doing this for them! If Elane would just fucking get _over_ herself then _maybe_ , _maybe_ she wouldn't have to worry about them so much but… Blaze ground her teeth together even harder.

Headaches were the worst. They made her moody, selfishly unpredictable. It was probably the only real thing that made her an actual delinquent aside from being a recovering pyro. When her head hurt, then she became an even worse version of herself, a Mr. Hyde almost. Anyone stupid enough to step a toe over her boundary, which was unfortunately very easy to do, would find themselves with a whole foot missing. She hated that part of herself. It was such a parasitic thing to do. And she hated how it affected more people that she cared for than whom she didn't.

A bell chimed, bursting her dark little bubble.

The students around her rose to bow to the teacher. She glared at them all, snarling on the inside at the effort it took to stand with them. _Filthy fucking people pleasers. Why should I have to stand for someone who doesn't give a damn about me?_

Oh she was seriously going to regret all of this later, but for now she would quietly enjoy her simmering bowl of wrath while she gathered up her things. Blaze took her time packing up, mostly to avoid the rabble that was heading out the door for lunch. The rest could be attributed to the dull ache in her muscles. Ever since she'd actually paid attention to the information Issa gave her then she had tried to stop taking the muscle relaxers. It seemed her body was trying to fight back because of it. As if she'd developed an addiction in the short time since she had started taking them.

A low, frustrated growl rose to the surface and Blaze clenched one of the papers that she had pretended to use for notes―crumbling it.

 _I'm not like that bastard. I'm not like that bastard. I will never be like that bastard. He and I are never going to be the same. We are not―_

"Blaze-chan, you're going to get wrinkles if you keep glaring at the board like that." A wry arm wrapped itself around her shoulders and she stiffened. Without looking back at the perpetrator, she finished packing up, shoving the crumpled paper harshly into her bag, and shrugged his arm off. She stalked off quickly.

"What's this, not feeling very social today?" And yet he persisted. A muscle feathered in her jaw and she sped up. "Maybe you've been spending too much time with Shizu-chan. It seems that his temper can be more than fearsome―but contagious!"

She halted, absolutely fed up and in no mood to deal with the Wolf's games. Blaze whirled around and faced him, planting her feet in a mildly aggressive stance, her head angled in a way that said one wrong move would send him to hell with no return ticket back. They were almost the same height. Just perfect for an up close staring contest.

Izaya's eyes weren't blood red, like a lot of positioning and lighting led most of the population to believe. Rather, it was day old blood―rusted. The only thing special about those eyes, the only thing that made her wary of them, was the deep, insatiable, cunning yearning that ran further than mines in a mountain.

"One," she started with a hiss, "don't you dare drag Shizuo into this. I've always had this temper long before I even knew who he was. Two, you're smart, so take a goddamn hint and back off before I _make_ you."

They both knew that the fire they were playing with was scalding, but neither was willing to play it safe by putting it out. The only difference between the two was that one knew how to control theirs, while the other was very close to becoming an uncontrollable force of nature.

Izaya's eyes narrowed a fraction. "You're very defensive of Shizu-chan. Why?"

She didn't know why, and yet at the same time she knew _exactly_ why. Everyone she met, everyone that became a part of her world, they all fit into her well constructed system. From lowlifes that scurried like rats in sewers, to devilish wolves that pranced in sheep's clothing like Izaya, right up to the people that bore innocent souls and pure hearts―Kings, Queens, and Knights alike. Shizuo―Shizuo was one of those people. Despite his temper, he was a kind guy, helpful even. He was the kind of person that a pathetic parasite like herself would cling to just as much as she wanted to keep her distance from.

Blaze mimicked Izaya's calculating expression, her tone low, mocking as she responded, "Wouldn't you like to know."

Without waiting for his obvious response―as he clearly wanted to know and hated not knowing―she turned on her heel and stalked off. He continued to follow her, she could hear his soft footfalls against the tile floor, though he remained silent now. Blaze couldn't find it in herself to care at this point; as long as he remained quiet then he could do whatever the hell he wanted.

Although it was lunch, she had no intention of going to get something to eat. Neither did she feel like going up to the roof to hang out with Shizuo and the others. Her bad mood would sour their usually jubilant atmosphere―that and Izaya. Not even an idiot could take one look at Shizuo and Izaya in the same room as each other and _not_ know that they hated each other, and would rip each other apart if given the chance. She wasn't in the mood deal with another fiasco that would result in enforcing Gibbs Law, nor was she so low as to subject Shizuo to the Wolf's schemes.

So aimlessly wandering and hoping her tag-along would abandon her for food it was.

She rounded a corner and took to a set of stairs, unaware of her exact destination. Her jaw ached from the clenching, growing tighter and tighter as she forced herself to go down at a normal pace instead of the deliberate slowness she so desperately wanted to go at. Each step felt like overkill, jostling her already aggravated brain around even more. If it weren't for Izaya lurking behind her and studying her every move then she most likely would have done just that.

Blaze stared ahead, soaking in the soft afternoon light pouring through the large window ahead of her. She stopped and studied the the courtyard below. Raira consisted mostly of stone, with hardly any greenery to combat the business like atmosphere everything brought by the hard elements of the world. The rigidness of it was enough to give her an inkling of an understanding of why Tsuyoi wanted nothing to do with this school―or any of them for that matter. Students casually milled about; laughing, talking, being friends. Seeing that cooled her ire a little.

The peace was obliterated almost immediately after as her eyes traveled further, towards the entrance.

Lurking around the entrance gates, with shadows wrapping around them in a menacing way, were several unpleasant figures. Three girls wearing black uniforms with skirts that climbed up to ridiculous heights, or traveled low to their ankles―like hers. One of them she recognized simply by the eccentric hairstyle, but the other two were unfamiliar. And there were the bodyguard figures. Two men―not boys but full grown men with tattoos and rippling muscles―hovered around them, glaring at anyone that came too close. The one thing they all had in common were the black ties tied to various extremities; whether it was around their heads, their necks, or their arms, it was undeniable who they were and what they were here for.

Hitching her backpack higher on her shoulder, Blaze took to the steps two at a time. Blood roared in her ears, swirling in her head and blinding her with deep, dark emotions. Of all the times they had to show up, it had to be now. Karma wasn't just a bitch, but the Queen of Hell who knew how to pull her punches.

Without a care for her one man entourage she took off at a full sprint the moment she cleared the landing. Within what felt like a few minutes compressed into a couple seconds Blaze found herself at the main doors of the building, rows of small lockers for exchanging footwear blocking her sight of the outside world. The run left her more winded than she would've liked, as she gulped air desperately. Her vision grew foggy as she quickly tore off her school shoes and went to swap them with her durable boots, very glad that she had decided to wear them today of all days.

Blaze didn't bother to let herself continue recovering as she set out of the building to drive off the vermin.

They went rigid the moment she stormed out, watching her with controlled loathing. The men shifted, thick arms bulging in their crossed position. They were in a position to fight all the while still looking like casual bystanders. The two girls she didn't recognize, newbies and twins, with dark hair carefully divided into two sets of braids, backed off as their ringleader stepped forward to greet her with a sneer.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't little Eri." Quick as could be Blaze stole the other girl's thunder, a feral grin sliding up her face. Koizumi Eri bristled, standing up straighter to show off her full height. It was stupid, a trap she completely fell for, and would have been more impressive had she not been wearing a pair of designer heels.

Eri flicked a strand of fuschia hair over her shoulder, her little nose twitching in annoyance. Blaze mimicked her, more in disgust than anything though. Nothing ever really changed with this chick. Not even her sense of fashion. The fake blonde didn't mesh well with her choice of pink, and it definitely didn't go with her angular face. The only thing it _didn't_ clash with was her awful personality.

"You look like shit," Eri stated bluntly. "Guess the Green Hats aren't cutting it for you. Too bad, you should have stayed with us."

She rolled her eyes and earned herself a sharp stab of pain for her efforts. "Keep your high and mighty attitude to yourself for once and spit it out. Why are you here?"

There was absolutely no reason why they should be on Raira's campus; _her_ territory. Her gaze flickered between all five of the challengers, judging, calculating. If she were in better condition the she could most likely take out all the girls and at least hinder the hulking brutes that they brought with them long enough to hightail it out of there, but with the way her cards had been dealt, she wouldn't put it past her luck to end up knocked out cold within the first few minutes of the fight.

" _Bitch_ ," Eri hissed. "Still walking around like you've got a crown on your head."

Blaze shifted her weight around, working into a loose defensive stance. The backpack slid down her shoulder and rested in the crook of her arm. If she could just catch them off guard…

"And you're still jealous as always," she retorted. "I told both you and Jirou that things were over between us. Get it through your thick fucking skulls will you? I'm sick of repeating myself every time I run into someone from the Black Ties."

The guy on the right struck so quickly that she barely managed to dodge the attack. He came so close that she could feel the breeze of his fist as it went flying past her head. Her backpack fell to the ground with a dull thud and she ducked another attack from the guy on the left. It wasn't one of the fairest fights she'd ever been in, but it wasn't the dirtiest either. Eri still fought like a pitiful novice after all.

Somewhere far off a girl screamed.

She turned on her heel and landed a swift right hook on bodyguard number one's lower jaw, connecting with a chrome colored tattoo of a dragon and prickly stubble. As he stumbled back his replacement tried to grab her from behind. Blaze whirled around and aimed straight and true for a balls eye.

To her surprise he didn't go down, well, not much anyways.

"He's got balls of steel, doesn't he?" Her head whipped around and she glared at Eri, who giggled as if she'd told a witty joke at a classy party. Blaze growled and launched herself at the wannabe Barbie doll. The twins behind her swooped in, blocking her outstretched hand with two sharp chops and a double kick to push her back. She tripped and rolled right back into the fray with the tattooed hulks.

Bodyguard number two grabbed her just underneath the armpit and dragged her up so she wasn't quite standing, but not quite kneeling either. Her breath was stuck in her throat and the world was spinning. The muscles that ran the length of her upper back coiled and rippled in a painful spasm―the worst of the shaking she had ever felt since it had first begun. The guy with the dragon tattoo pulled back his fist, face a blank mask, but dark eyes glinting nastily.

"Sleep tight princess," he chuckled lowly.

It took everything she had just to move out of the way enough that he only cuffed the side of her head with his meaty knuckles.

 **{ + = + }**

The rooftop was quiet, which was odd, yet a surprising relief. Shizuo scratched his head and looked around again. It was the first time that he'd had the place to himself in a while. He wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Not that Blaze had been here all that long, but her presence was definitely hard to miss when she forced everyone to notice it. So now that it wasn't here, it sort of bothered him.

Strange that he'd miss noise when all he really wanted was some peace and quiet.

"Hey, what's the hold up?" Tom poked him in the middle of his back, his voice muffled even though he was so close.

Shizuo blinked. "Huh? Oh, sorry. I was just thinking."

He stepped aside, simultaneously pulling a pack of cigarettes out of his back pocket. He then flicked the lid open and popped out a stick. Shizuo stuck it in his mouth and patted himself down, searching for the lighter, only to come up empty handed. A long sigh of frustration blew out of his nose and he closed his eyes. Of course. He just had to somehow forget his lighter somewhere again. Hopefully it didn't fall out of his pocket in the classroom. Explaining that wouldn't go well for him. Looked like he'd just have to wait for Blaze to show up so he could borrow her lighter again.

The thought calmed him and he settled for slowly gnawing on the butt of the cig, walking to his wall and leaning against it. Tom was already there, sprawled on the ground and staring at the sky. They both sat in the silence, fidgeting.

"Wow, I never thought I'd say this, but I miss the chaos."

It was broken seconds later by Tom.

Slowly he nodded his head in agreement. Every time he'd come up here then Blaze had either been with him, or had beaten him to it and was loudly discussing something with Shinra. This silence now was… awkward for him. Again, he couldn't help but think that Blaze's personality was heavy enough to leave an imprint on his memory that it would bother him to be in something he normally enjoyed.

He couldn't help but wonder if this was what a strong friendship was like.

"She'll probably show up with Shinra soon and make us regret missing her," Tom snorted and rolled onto his side. Shizuo nodded absently, trying to recall if his friendship with the boy at his feet and the wannabe mad scientist had some sort of distinct feeling as well.

Though he thoroughly wracked his brain, he had nothing. Did that mean his other friendships were meaningless? No, they were just less turbulent. Tom was a good guy, and they could hold decent conversations at length with each other about themselves, and he felt that he could rely on the dark skinned boy for help should he ever need it. With Shinra it was almost the same, if not just tolerable. At the very most at least the bespectacled kid _wanted_ to be around him.

Blaze was just insane, no other explanation needed for as to why she even bothered to be around him.

He bobbed his head in agreement with himself and pushed off the wall to pace leisurely back and forth, contemplating what could be taking the redhead so long to make her grand entrance.

Just as he opened his mouth to ask Tom what he thought, a shrill scream cut through the silence.

His head jerked to the right and before he knew it he was at the fence that protected the roof, searching everywhere for the source. Tom materialized at his side and looked with him.

"Over there!" he said, pointing towards the entrance to school grounds. A crowd was forming a good distance away as a fight broke out at the gates. It pissed him off that there was fighting occurring on school grounds, but once he figured out the total number of players then it pissed him off even more. Five on one was _not_ a fair fight. Two giant, bulky men against one scrawny girl was even worse. Two morons against Blaze was a _bad_ move.

"What the hell is she doing?" Shizuo growled through clenched teeth. He gripped the fence so tight that it bent under the pressure.

"I don't know man, but she's fighting a losing battle _big time_." They both collectively winced as she delivered a swift kick to one of the mammoth's groin, but wasted no time for sympathy.

Blaze charged at a girl with striped pink hair, whom he guessed was the leader or something, only to get knocked back by a pair of twins. She tripped and rolled right back into the den she'd just left. The dude who received the nut shot yanked her up harshly, while the other prepped himself, drawing his right arm back. Shizuo's eyes widened as he realized what was going to happen and everything slowed as the only sound that filled him was the harsh pulse of his own blood running hot like fire through his veins.

The man clipped her upside the head.

Shizuo's body moved on its own, tearing away the protective fence that was only in his way. He jumped off the building and hit the ground with a crack before taking off at a full blown sprint, leaving behind a small hole as evidence of his fall. The students that had crowded around to watch turned at the sound of his arrival and immediately scrambled out of the way. If he had been walking then he would have seen the normal looks of fear that always appeared in his presence magnified. If he had been walking then he would have done a little bit of talking before letting this frenzy overtake him. But he'd witnessed two _despisable_ actions committed. One he took as morally wrong―hitting a woman. Two he took as a personal offense.

Hitting his friend.

No sound escaped him as his fist connected with the first bastard that had delivered the blow except for a resounding crunch of bone snapping beneath pressure. It sent the man flying past the street and into the adjacent set of buildings. That one punch was enough to release some of his blind rage so that he could reign himself in and speak.

Breathing heavily, he turned to face the other guy. The man let go of Blaze and she dropped to the ground, barely managing to catch herself. Shizuo breathed heavily through his nostrils. His fists were clenched so tightly that he shook. Just as he opened his mouth to cuss out the unknown man then he was attacked.

"You _sunuva_ ―!" Shizuo caught the man's fist and sent him flying to join the other.

All that remained were the three girls, who trembled once he turned his glare on them. The fear in their eyes registered in the back of his mind and it pulled him back, like an anchor keeping him in place, preventing him from going over his boundaries. Shizuo jutted out his chin and gestured for them to leave. They ran with squeaks of terror ringing in the air.

A small groan escaped Blaze and he looked at her, temper flaring before becoming resolutely tethered to reality. The burning rage subsided and he extended his hand to her.

"Hey, are you―"

She smacked his hand away.

 **{ \ = \ }**

Her head was pounding, and her vision wavered between a blurry world and darkness, but she had seen it all. Before the brute with the dragon tattoo had been able to finish the job then _he'd_ come flying in with his fists of fury. He'd totaled the asshole and his friend, now buried somewhere in the rubble of another building. He'd scared off Eri and those twins with just a look. He'd done it all because of her, _for_ her.

And that terrified her because that meant… Because that really, truly meant…

She blinked and saw his hand offered to her. That large hand, capable of great destruction, was offered to her. It was the gentlest she'd ever seen him. The gentlest he'd ever been towards her. It sent a tremor through her whole body and the world grew blurry with a film of tears.

Heiwajima Shizuo was pure white Knight.

She slapped that hand away and jumped up, reeling backwards. Blaze gripped the side of her head tightly and stared at Shizuo as he shifted in and out of focus. He frowned at her and let his hand drop back to his side.

"You should probably go to the nurse's office." It drove her nuts how he could talk so casually after all that. She was on the edge. Just a step away from falling over. His concern for her was going to drive her right off of a steep cliff, right where she'd fall through a closet of still rotting skeletons.

He took a step closer and she stepped back.

"Hey…," The look that flashed in his eyes was the final shove, and she exploded.

 **{ + = + }**

He recognized the look in her eyes, knew it like an old friend. But what he couldn't tell was if that look was on him, or on something he couldn't see. Shizuo took a step forward. They were still friends. Blaze had already seen his monster strength and temper in action. She wasn't scared of him.

"Hey…"

"What the hell do you think you're doing?! I had it under control!" She yelled at him. Startled, he took a step back. Shizuo tried to wrap his mind around the sudden turn of events. Why was she _mad_ at him? He'd helped her as a friend? Hadn't he?

"Why are you _mad_? I just saved your ass!" He didn't mean to, but he growled at her defensively. Why was she attacking him? What had he done wrong?

She flung her hand away from her head and took an aggressive step forward. Her face was bright and red. It wasn't quite like her hair, but it came pretty close. Even as it morphed with a snarl. Cyan eyes glistened as if freshly covered with a coat of gloss, looking at him without really seeing anything. For the first time he got a good look into Blaze's eyes and saw how warped they were.

" _I didn't ask for your fucking help_. _Just stay the hell out of my business!_ "

Shizuo caught her hand before she could shove him away. Faster than he could blink then she grabbed his wrist and jerked it violently to the right. He felt the bones popping, but he didn't let her go.

" _Goddammit let me go Shizuo!_ " Her nails raked along his skin. A single tear slipped down her cheek and his grip went lax, shocked.

Blaze slipped out of his grasp, running off the school grounds. In no time at all the sound of a motorcycle roared in the silence. Shortly afterwards she flashed by, leaving a trail of red in his sight.

He looked down at the ground, numb. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted her backpack, forgotten and abandoned on the ground. Shizuo picked it up and slung it over his shoulder, walking back towards the school without glancing at the silent crowd that had gathered.

Shizuo had never hated the silence so much in his life than in that moment.

 **{ \ = \ }**

* * *

 _*the author will leave an official note next chapter_


	7. A Note

_Hello, I bet many of you have either given up on receiving another update or else have completely forgotten about this story altogether. And this is definitely not something you were expecting, and usually with an update that's strictly an a/n there's bad news._

 _Don't worry, I'm not here to say anything particularly bad. At least, not about the story anyways._

 _I haven't forgotten about Blaze and her story, nor do I intend to give it up. It's just that I myself have not been in a very good place, mentally speaking, and my motivation to write, as well as motivation in general, have been hard to come by and keep a hold of. Life is really awful about getting in the way of things and it's just been hard to do much more than just making it to the next day. But now a lot of the major things I've been stressing about are leaving me alone for good and I'm starting to recover a bit._

 _Upon seeing the very last review that had been posted I'd been motivated enough to at least re-read what I had already written down so far and I can't help but ask myself, "What the hell had I been thinking?" which is then followed by, "How the hell did anyone even like this?" I am fully acknowledging that I have erred and performed the "Good concept, bad delivery" taboo of writing, therefore before I continue on with this story then I am going to edit it and fix the many plot holes and spelling/grammar errors I had spotted. Once I have edited those the next time you see an update this a/n will be gone and in its place will be a brand new chapter. It'll be advised that you go back and re-read the the old-new chapters too once that happens._

 _Thank you for those that have been patiently waiting for a new chapter, and I am really sorry it took me so long to do something, even if it was just a little a/n like this._

 _Best regards,_

 _―Yopū Yuna_


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